Kingdom Hearts: Final Confrontaton Cunla's Journey
by LordCavendish
Summary: For those of you who have read the first "Final Confrontation," here is the story taken from Cunla's perspective. He journeys to find his own truth, all the while gaining new friends as well as enemies.
1. His Journey Begins

His Journey Begins

His Journey Begins

The sun was starting set now. The smell of the green pastures scented the land vastly stretching to the horizon. A lone figure stands, young and fair, yet strong in physique. He stands before a long road, a road heading to where the sun directed its descent. Such a calm youth this young man, not taking into mind what he had lost. Rather, he focused upon his future and how his efforts would affect the outcome of history.

From behind, four friends, whom he had only recently come to embrace as his best and faithful, approached with silent tongue to stand side by side with their fearless leader.

"Do you know what to do?" the first friend asked.

"I know my course." The youth replied. "My fate lies with you and others who have gone out of their way to help me and make me who I am. For there sake I will fight. I shall return to aid them."

The youth took a step forward, followed by another and another. His friends followed close behind. They now saw the task before them.

The young man's name was Cunla…

The son of Cuchulain…

Cunla's heart was still heavy as he piloted the gummi ship to some unknown destination. The sight of his father's death at Long Valley was too much for him to bear. He recalled the face of his beloved parent and how he had done all in his power to keep his son safe. Cunla looked to the vastness of space and realized how lonely it was. Reflecting on the past, he felt somewhat ashamed having to leave his friends, the esteemed members of the KH team, to their fate in pursuit of his own reawakening. Cunla found it as his duty to become stronger.

"I've made it my vow." Cunla thought to himself. "I will become stronger. Riku and Sora will be in need of me sometime in the near future. Unfortunately, I'm just not strong enough." The boy clutched his fists. "I thought I was strong, I thought I had all the answers and experiences sufficient enough to get me to where I was going. But I realize now that I still have a long way to go." There was a pause in his thoughts. His heart began to beat. "If only I had been stronger. If only I had more skill, I could have…" Just then a tear began to fall from his eye. Cunla was surprised by his own reaction and emotion. He tightened his fist even more. "No, I can't cry. I've done my mourning. I must become stronger in order to help my friends. I will see to it that my father's death was not in vain."

The gummi ship flew on to some undetermined world with its young occupant still deep in his thoughts. However, it was not long before Cunla came across a stray world out in the stakes. The world was green and lush. Like an emerald jewel of the skies. Cunla observed the world with great curiosity.

"I wonder what world that is." he thought to himself. It was then that his thoughts were interrupted by a growl from his stomach. Cunla sheepishly smiled as he touched his hardened belly. "Perhaps I could go with a little something to eat. Maybe there may be a place that I'd be able to get something to satisfy my gut." Cunla eased the rockets and entered the world. As he neared the land, he found that the world was deeply forested. However, there were a few small towns scattered about the place.

"Looks like the German countryside." He thought to himself. Just then, as the ship descended down through a mountain pass, Cunla saw situated upon a flattened stone top, a castle, which overlooked one of the nearby settlements like a stern guardian over its many children. The castle was a magnificent structure of Gothicism. A fantastic structure of a German style castle with its cone roofed towers and its details of white masonry. Statues lined the tiers and cannons protruded through their gun ports upon the thick walls.

Cunla was awed by the sight. He hadn't seen such a beautiful castle since he had last seen the interior of the Disney Kingdom when he was still under the employment of Lord Sirius Viicous. But no sooner had he flown over the castle, several of the guns upon the walls began to fire. Several of the shells exploded near the wings of the gummi. Cunla steadied the gummi as he felt the shockwaves bounce off the hull.

"Damn it, why are they shooting at me?" Cunla thought to himself. He looked down to see hundreds of soldiers rallying to the battlements. The cannon fire accelerated. "What exactly did I do to them?" Cunla activated the stealth mode allowing the gummi to vanish from the view of their aggressors. Immediately, the cannons stopped thereafter when they found no target to aim for. "I should blow those bastards to bits for firing on me. But then what would be the point when I don't even know the reason behind their hostility." Cunla then spotted the village. "I'll take refuge in that town for the time being and find out for myself what all the fuss is about."

The invisible ship touched down, unseen, upon a grassy clearing just at the outskirts of town. The rockets fell silent and Cunla deactivated the optical stealth. Opening the hatch, he stepped out. Sword at his side and his father's spear clutched in his hand, the boy was prepared to enter into this strange and unfamiliar world. Pressing the deactivation button, he transformed the gummi into a capsule and placed it in his pocket.

"Thank God for Capsule Corp." Cunla said. He gripped the Gae Bulga tightly in his hand. "Now to find out what the heck's going on." His determination was cut short however as he felt the grumbling in his stomach again. "But first thing's first. I should have a little something to eat."

Cunla came upon a road. Not too far from the gates of the town that he saw before he landed. Just outside of the gates was a small cottage. There, an old woman came out. She was frail in appearance at best with a head of gray bundled under a blue bonnet. Her face was well aged, showing lines of the years she endured. Her eyes were squinted, like two peak pods close together. She wore a humble brown dress, possible made of wool. In her hands, she wielded a broom, indicating she was prepared to sweep the dust from her porch.

However, the moment she laid eyes on Cunla, she was shocked. Her eyes widened and her mouth hung slightly ajar. She gasped at the sight of the young boy. Cunla was rather curious at the old woman's reaction. He simply smiled.

"Hello there," he greeted, giving a slight bow.

But no sooner had that happened, the sound of the castle guns began to ring again. Both Cunla and the old woman looked up to see the smoke from the castle gun ports bellow puffs of smoke. Cunla wondered what the fortress was firing at now. Above the castle, there was a flying motorcar. It seemed like a classic automobile. Cunla awed at the sight.

"Look at that." He quoted to himself, "An old fashioned flying automobile."

"Boy," the old woman shouted. "Quickly, get in here!"

"What's wrong?" Cunla approached the old woman's cottage. The old woman took him by the hand and shoved him into the house. "What's going on?"

"I will explain later." The old woman replied with her heavy German accent. She locked the door behind her. "The soldiers will be coming."

"Soldiers…? Why…?"-

"First thing is first, boy. What are you doing here?"-

"What am I doing here? I just thought that I might be able to get a little something to eat. I've come such a long way."-

"But why would you come here to Vulgaria of all places?"-

"Vulgaria…? Is that where I am?-

"Yes, this is the kingdom of Vulgaria. And coming here was a dangerous decision, especially for a boy."-

"Why…?"-

The old woman was curious of Cunla's response.

"You mean you don't know?" she asked.

"I have no idea." Cunla replied. "If you'd be so kind as to inform me of what you mean..."

"Baron Bomburst has made it his absolute decree…"-

"Baron Bomburst…?"-

"The one who lives in that castle overlooking the village, he is the ruler of Vulgaria."-

"And what decree is that which could be so threatening to me?"-

"The Baron has decreed that there are to be no children in Vulgaria."-

"No children? What sense does that make?"

"The Baron and his wife the Baroness hate children. They want nothing to do with children and do all in their power to do away with them. Any child found would immediately be taken away and never be heard from again. That is why I fear for you boy. You should never have come to this country."-

"But if there are no children, how is it that civilization came to be here in the first place?"-

"The Baron has been in power for the past five years. His declaration has caused visitors to stay away, being dubbed the name "The Country without Children."-

"Is that so?" Cunla clutched the Gae Bulga tight in his hands. "Perhaps I can persuade the Baron otherwise."

"No you can't." The old woman pleaded. "You're just a boy. You can't persuade the Baron. Bomburst will have you arrested on sight."

"My age may be young and seem rather rash. But my mind has matured because of my experiences."-

"That doesn't make any difference. The Baron's mind only focuses on his own desires. From what I understand, he had recently captured an inventor who created a flying car."-

"A flying car…?" Cunla inwardly thought. "That must've been the one that was flying in the air."

"The Baron has been after it for some time. Even going so far as to sail all the way to England and kidnap the inventor behind its design. The inventor has been confined in the castle for some time now, forced to produce another flying car."-

"Was what we saw the final product?" Cunla wondered.

"I don't know." The old woman replied.

"Then there's only one way to find out."-

But no sooner had Cunla finished his statement, there came from the distance the sound of brass trumpets bellowing fanfare.

"Oh no…" The old woman gasped. "Soldiers…"

"Soldiers…?" Cunla asked.

"Soldiers from the castle, the Baron must've sent them for you."-

"Is that so? Well, let them try."-

"No you mustn't, young man. You cannot fight the entire Vulgarian army by yourself."-

"We'll just see about that then, won't we?"-

"No," the old woman took hold of Cunla and held him back from reaching the door. The sound of the trumpets continued on. Closer and closer they drew until the sound of speeding hooves clopped about on the cobblestone road. The old woman peered outside to see a detachment of soldiers, on foot and one horseback, passing by.

Some were dressed in early nineteenth century dress, with their braded and well trimmed uniforms. Upon their heads were tall shakos, shined and outfitted to make even Napoleon envious. There were other soldiers dressed with fezzes and whose uniforms were not as elaborate. Most likely, they might have been members of light infantry. Then there were heavy cavalry, armed with bannered lances and dressed in heavy armor like mediaeval knights.

Despite being a possible threat, the soldiers did not halt. Their speed did not slacken. Instead, they continued on their way, past the house and into the village itself.

"What's going on?" Cunla asked. "They're just passing by."

"I don't know." The old woman replied. "I thought the soldiers would be after you."

"Unless they were after someone or something else…" Cunla turned to the old woman. "Do you have a back way, or a back door?"-

"Yes, through the pantry."-

"I'll be off then."-

"Wait," the old woman pleaded. "Don't go."

"I have to. I have to know what's going on."-

"But you'll be in danger."-

"If I stay here and the soldiers find me out, you'll get involved as well. And if I know the nature of soldiers, they don't take kindly to civilians who harbor enemies or wanted refugees."-

"But…"-

"Don't worry," Cunla gave a smile, "I'll be alright."

"Well," the old woman came into the pantry and pulled out a loaf of bread, which had been recently baked from her oven. "Take this."

"What's this for?" Cunla asked.

"You said you were hungry. I can't let you go on an empty stomach."-

"Thank you for your kindness, miss."-

"If you have no place to take refuge after this, you come back here. I'll keep you safe."-

"Thank you."-

Cunla smiled. With bread in hand, he opened the back door and ran off. The old woman watched as Cunla vanished from sight. As she looked upon his disappearing form, she felt somehow enlightened.

"There is something about that boy." The old woman quoted to herself. "I don't know what it is, but I feel as if he will change everything."

Cunla stealthily took flight onto the roofs of the homes and made his way over the town unseen, following the blowing of trumpets and the movements of Baron Bomburst's military detachments. Eventually, the soldiers halted, congregating at the town square. Cunla observed as the light infantry was deployed to search every house in the plaza. Doors were broken through and knocked down and people shoved out of the way by the military. Others toppled objects of trade and value hat belonged to the townspeople.

"I want them found!" The captain of the outfit shouted. "Search every house! Seek them out!"

"I wonder who they're looking for." Cunla thought to himself as he peeked over the roof he was on to spy the activity below him.

Just then, a man appeared to join the soldiers. He was pale in the face much like a ghost and his nose was substantially long. Old and frail he seemed, yet he walked about as if still a youth. His entire garment ensemble was black, from the pants and tails he wore, to the shoes and gloves on his limbs, to the crumpled top hat upon his head. In one hand, he bore what looked like a giant hook used for heaving up heavy cargo, or perhaps a tool used in the fishery. In his other hand was a large net. One could have mistaken him for a morbid dogcatcher. But instead of dogs, his profession was circled around catching another type of supposed nuisance in Vulgaria, children. This man was the child catcher. He drove a horse drawn caged wagon to which he confined any children he came upon.

He dismounted from his wagon and looked about.

"I know there are children here." He declared. "I can smell them." His head twisted and turned about, sniffing the air with his elongated snout. Suddenly, his eyes turned towards one of the doors that had not been broken down. "In there, Captain!"

The captain ordered his soldiers to storm the door to which the child catcher pointed.

"Open up in the name of Baron Bomburst!" the captain ordered. "Open up this door or we'll break it down!"

"Alright, alright," a voice shouted from within. The doors were opened willingly by a rather stout, middle aged man with a head and moustache of grey. He was the toy maker. The soldiers stormed in, pushing the man aside.

"A toymaker…?" Cunla thought to himself. "What would a toymaker be doing here in a land where there are no children allowed?" Cunla heard commotion going on for a few more minutes before there was another bellow from afar. This time, it came from one of the lanes on the far end of the square. It was the sound of soldiers cheering. Sure enough, to Cunla's surprise, a band of light infantry troops came marching in. And in their confiscation was a newly refurbished automobile with red walled tires, a shiny and well polished hood and wooden coach for the driver and passengers.

"We've got it!" one soldier shouted.

"We captured it!" another added. "We captured the flying car!"

"Flying car?" Cunla looked on. "That must be the one that was in the air earlier."

"Take this car to the castle!" the captain ordered. With cheerful fanfare, the soldiers withdrew from the square, moving the captured vehicle with them. Slowly all the military units withdrew.

"Strange…" Cunla thought. "I should follow them." Cunla quickly went in pursuit of the car. "I wonder what the significance of that car is. What other purpose does Bomburst have to want it so badly besides his own desires to obtain its uniqueness?"

However, no sooner had Cunla started his pursuit, he felt a strange presence about both near and far, it was a feeling both unfamiliar, yet recognizable. This feeling was pursued by a strange sound that whizzed through the air. It was faint to the ear, but Cunla could still sense it. He halted in his tracks. Sure enough, a knife had flung and lodged itself upon the roof tiles before him. Cunla looked around to see who could have thrown in. He quickly took hold of the knife.

"I wonder…" Just then more knives went hurling at him from some unknown location. Cunla quickly took to the streets below. The rooftops were no longer safe. "There is no doubt, shinobis must be here. But does this world have such assassins?" Cunla looked at the knife he had in his hand. The straight kunai bore a symbol all too familiar to him. It was the symbol of the Midnight Faction. "Impossible, the Imperial Axis is here too? What would they be doing here of all places?" He sensed the energy in the air. He picked up a few energy and life signals from the tree canopies outside the city walls. "There are at least four of them. I better stay on guard and keep my focus on their movements. No doubt they'll be informing their superiors of my presence. And knowing my reputation now amongst my old peers, I'm a traitor and they may hope to execute me without question." Cunla placed the knife in his sleeve. "This may come in handy later. It's best to be cautious this time around. Now that I know the faction has deployed shinobis, my task in this world has become a lot harder."

He jumped from atop the roof to the street below. But no sooner had he done that, there came the shout from the far end of the isolated street.

"A child!" the voice shouted. "There's a child here!"

Cunla turned around to see two soldiers who happened to appear from behind the homes. They were a pair sent out possibly for a daily patrol. They were both swordsmen, armed with sabers at their sides.

"Halt there, boy!" one soldier shouted.

"I better take care of them before they sound an alarm and summon more reinforcements." Cunla raised the Gae Bulga above his head. The two soldiers charged on instinct, hoping to stop the boy. But Cunla's thrust was deadly as he threw his father's legendary spear through the air. The Gae Bulga wailed out and struck one of the soldiers dead. The second soldier was shocked to see his partner killed so swiftly and so easily, and at the hands of a boy. But no sooner had that happened, Cunla rushed forth, his hand clutched to the hilt of his still sheathed sword. Before the soldier could react, he was cut in half by the boy, who deployed his side arm blade like lightning and just as silent. Blood splattered from the ghastly wound and the soldier fell dead instantly. Cunla shook the blood from his blade and sheathed it back.

"Damn it," he said to himself as he pulled the Gae Bulga out of the slain soldier's body. "Now, I have to hide these bodies so no one will be suspicious." But his efforts were dashed as the sound of a gun was heard from the opposite side of the narrow street. A stray bullet struck the road no more than a couple feet away. Cunla turned to see four soldiers this time. Three light infantry and one man on horseback, possibly an officer because of the elaborate uniform he wore.

"Stop there, boy!" the officer shouted as he drew his saber and rushed Cunla.

"What a time for them to show up." Cunla thought. "I can't afford to kill anymore of these soldiers. It'll be too suspicious. And I can't be too reckless now that I know the Imperial Axis is present in this world." Cunla thus made a hasty retreat with the soldiers still firing at him.

"Stop, boy!" The officer on horseback galloped after the youth. But Cunla's sudden spur up the wall forced him to stop. Cunla flew back onto the roof tops and vanished. "Who was that?"

"These two are dead, sir." One of the light infantrymen explained. "By the looks of it, they were killed instantly."

"A boy did this?" the second asked.

"Who or whatever he was," the officer explained, "He was certainly no ordinary boy. We must inform the baron at once."

"A boy you say?" Another voice unexpectedly intervened. The four soldiers turned to see none other than the long nosed child catcher approaching with hook and net in hands. "Interesting…"

"It would be ill advised to go after him, sir."-

"Nonsense, we are dealing with a mere boy."-

"A boy that killed two of my men without pause…"-

"Did you see him kill them?"-

"Well no, but we did see him retrieve the weapons that killed them. I assume that he must be the one that slew these men."-

"If that be the case, I could use a good challenge."-

"You're insane, sir."-

"Insanity is merely in the eyes of the beholder." The child catcher chuckled. "This boy is just a juvenile delinquent who must've come from a poor background. Oh well, we can easily dispense with him. It just gives us all the more reason to do away with this upstart."

"It's rather strange though." The officer explained.

"What is?"-

"The boy was wearing an identical uniform similar to our guests."-

"That is rather interesting…" The child catcher pondered. "Oh well, I guess time will only tell. But for now…" The child catcher threw over his shoulders a colorful coat of yellows, reds, greens, and blues. "I have two other rats to weed out."

All the while, the flying car had been brought to the castle and into the courtyard. Soldiers, servants, and diplomats alike came forth to awe at this spectacle that the Baron had been after for some time expanding.

As the car made its way in before the grand doors of the castle interior, the Baron himself emerged, surrounded by his closest advisors. He was a pompous twit, with a pudgy red face. He was dressed in a hunting garb and could have been mistaken for any member of the aristocracy if it wasn't for the gold and red velvet crown that he wore upon his head.

"Ah, the flying car!" he said with a boastful cry and a heavy German accent, "At last it's mine! At last I have the flying motor car in my possession!" He and his advisors ran over to inspect the car. Overjoyed by his prize, the baron seated himself in the driver's side. He turned to one of the military officers. "Send for the inventor!"

"Send for the inventor!" the aristocracy added.

"Sir," the officer replied and withdrew.

All the while, the Baron fiddled around with the gadgets in the coach, honking the horn, turning the dials doing all he could to activate the vehicle.

"Now then fly," he said in his burly voice. But even the bellowing tone of his throat did not move the car. "Come on, fly!"

"Fly, fly, fly," another aristocrat added, honking away at the horn. The Baron slapped his hand away.

"I shall be the one to fly it." Bomburst tightened his fist, his cheeks puffing red. "I command you to fly!" But the car remained dormant. By this time, the officer had returned with two soldiers who held and old man by the arms as if a prisoner. He was simply known as Grandpa Potts, an old man who had been mistaken as the supposed inventor of the car.

He was bald upon the top of his head and was grey everywhere else upon his face that had hair. He was dressed in a late nineteenth century, khaki brown uniform worn by the British military. But one could tell that his military discipline had long since vanished. They brought him before the car. The old man thus looked at the car with a sense of familiarity.

"What's this doing here?" he commented, but no one seemed to take notice. The Baron looked at him.

"You are the inventor," he declared, "Now make this car fly!"

"Make it fly!" the close advisors added, pushing the old man up into the driver's seat. Since he had no experience whatsoever with cars, Old Potts just took a chance and honked the horn, hoping that doing so would activate the engine.

"Stand back everyone, we are going to fly!" Bomburst commanded. The aristocracy and the soldiers backed off.

Suddenly, another voice, high pitched in nature, shouted out to the Baron. It was his wife, the Baroness. She was dressed in a yellow and black velvet and silk dress.

"Yoo-hoo Bombie," she hooted, "Wait for me!" The Baron turned his head and grumbled in disapproval. It was a known fact that the Baron did not take pleasure with the Baroness. He had even tried several attempts to see that she met with an unfortunate accident. His plans never worked however and his annoying mistress continued to haunt him like a plague with her stuck up giddiness. Of course, the Baroness was always oblivious with her husband's attempts to get rid of her. He snapped his fingers.

"Oh no," he grumbled, "Every time I want to have a little fun, she turns up." But he quickly put on a smile to greet her. "My darling, we are going to fly!"

"Oh how exciting," the Baroness uttered so innocently. She was assisted into the backseat and was all a flutter in her excitement. "How exciting…! Fly…How thrilling!"-

"Well, come on, hurry up!" the Baron instructed Potts.

"Yes, I'm doing my best, sir." Old Potts replied. He maintained his composure as best he could, pretending that he knew what he was doing. "Just a minute," he looked upon a leaver near the steering wheel. "Here's one that we haven't tried yet."

"Here, we go my beloved!" Bomburst said to his wife.

"Hold on!"-

Not knowing the lever's function, he pulled it back. Suddenly, there came a shrilled scream as an ejection seat on the rear jettisoned the Baroness high into the air.

"Isn't it exciting my dear?" The Baron commented only to turn to see his wife hovering into the air with her dress open like an umbrella and the frills of her bloomers in full view. Seeing his wife in peril, the Baron could only chuckle and slapped the old man on the back. "You are a genius!" The Baron saw his opportunity. "My guns…! Bring my guns!" A soldier came with a double barreled shot gun. The Baron took it and aimed at his mid air mistress. "Don't worry little pigeon. I'll get you down!" He quietly mumbled. "I've been waiting for this for twenty years." He took careful aim, hoping to hit her on target with the gun blasts. He fired the first shot. The pellets missed, however, to the misfortune of the Baron. He aimed again. "Are you still there, my love?! Don't move!"

He took careful aim again and this time hit the dress of the baroness. Like an umbrella in the wind, her skirt flipped over her head and the Baroness with tumbling down like a rock, falling into the lake on the far end of the castle.

The Baron quickly ran to see the results of his hit. He peeked over the ramparts along with his other advisors. Once again, to his dismay, the Baroness was still alive. Though a little wet, she was in tact.

"There she is, Your Excellency." One of the officers shouted.

"Are you alright, my dear?" the Baron asked.

"I'm alright, my dumpling!" the Baroness replied.

"Good…!" The Baron turned away with a grumble. "Never mind, I'll get her the next time."

"There won't be a next time, Bomburst!" a voice shouted from the courtyard. "Or have you forgotten that we have other matters to attend to!"

The Baron looked down to see who spoke. Down in the courtyard, five individuals stood. They were Imperial officers ranking from as low as a sergeant major to the highest being a colonel. Their distinct style of dress indicated that they were all members of the Midnight Faction.

The leader, the colonel, was a tall and dashing man. Yet his stern look would turn away even the eyes of the most hardened of S class elites. His name was Valjean Von Kreist. His hair was raven black, spiked though subtle with his bangs draping to touch the tops of his eye lids, even so to the point where his flashy green eyes were protruded by the curtain of dark strands. He was dressed in a bright red, double breasted frock, lined with black and white and completed with an entourage of brass buttons and gold officer braids latched from the left shoulder to the left row of buttons. A star like medal of silver and gold was fixed to intermingle with the braids, as much as a new born infant snuggled in its mother's arms. Wrapped around his upper right arm was the arm band bearing the famous symbol of the former Imperial Regime, a relic in the new age of factional powers. The frock leveled just below the knee, covering black trousers with red officer lines on the sides, which were also tucked into high white boots with gold tips. The entire ensemble was completed with one large chest strap slung from the left shoulder to the right hip, connected to the white belt around the colonel's waist. Both the chest strap and the belt bore gold plates, each centered perfectly on the uniform. Then, over the chest strap was another shoulder strap, thinner in appearance, which kept the belt fastened and stationary. This was to help support the weight of the large saber that dangled at his side. The scabbard of his sword was a pearl white as well.

Alongside him were four of his subordinates, all wearing almost identical outfits, say for a few changes in some of the details in parts of their ensembles. Despite that, they were all dressed almost the same with black shell jackets that were cut off at the waist and were lined red at the cuffs and within. All were gold lined and double breasted, opened at the chest to reveal black, brass buttoned vests tucked under their white belts with brass buckles. Their pants were all black with red officer stripes down the outer side and tucked into equally high white boots, but without the brass tips.

The four subordinates stood stolid and at attention, with arms behind them and feet apart. Left to right, they went by the following titles. There was Sergeant Major Carson Defoe, Lieutenant Crispus Custis, Captain Dalius Sorbet, and Captain Reinhardt Allgota. Besides their commander Von Kreist being senior both in age as well as rank, being in his late twenties, or early thirties, all of the subordinates were still teenage youths, ranking from thirteen to seventeen years old. Yet still, they were given a great rank and responsibilities along with them.

The Baron turned around to greet his guests.

"Now, now, Von Kreist," Bomburst said with a ticklish chuckle, hoping to recover the positivism of the atmosphere, "It was just a bit of fun that's all."

"That's Colonel Von Kreist to you. And I can understand that you want to kill your own wife, but do it at your own leisure. Smother her in her sleep for all I care. But you will not be wasting anymore of my minutes." The colonel stepped up to the baron. "So long as I am here, your childish antics will cease."

"Now, colonel, be reasonable."-

"Reasonable is something that I don't do very well. I have come to this world to establish a new port of access to other realms. We need this world and you need our help to keep the rebellious populous under control. So long as you are behind your high walls and your weapons and man power, you are secure in your regime. But sooner or later, the rats in town will find a way to prick upon the flaws in your protective armor. Because you have forbidden the presence of children in this world, you have lost favor with the people. And now in order to keep them under you thumb, you have to maintain an iron fist policy, which in turn agitates your subjects even more. Hence, your power over them begins to weaken and you will have to rely on outside powers to protect you." The colonel turned his back. "Now if you would like, we could just withdraw from this world and choose someplace else, leaving you with the enraged mob, who are plotting and scheming to get at you, and take away all that power you enjoy."

"I understand…"-

"Then I suggest that you stay focus on the efforts of solidifying our alliance, and stop fiddling around with flying motor cars or attempts to kill your own spouse."-

"Of course…" The Baron bowed and withdrew back to the castle. Von Kreist withdrew back o his subordinates.

"I don't understand why you're playing buddy-buddy with that fathead." Sergeant Major Defoe grumbled.

"I'd have to agree, colonel." Captain Allgota added. "He's just a petty-lofty scumbag. We can easily do away with him."

"We could gain power here very easily indeed." Von Kreist replied. "But we need a scapegoat to act as the lone figurehead if things go awry."

"You do have a point there, sir."-

No sooner had that last statement left the captain's lips, the shinobi scouts appeared before Colonel Von Kreist.

"Ah," the colonel said with a snooty scoff. "So my faithful watchers have returned. I trust that you found something worth reporting?"

"We do colonel." The leading shinobi replied. "There was an incident in town today while the baron's soldiers went in search for that aerial vehicle."

"And what incident was that?"-

"There was a young man who infiltrated past our positions and was spying upon the troopers engaged."-

"Is that so?"-

"He seemed to be a young boy, no older than the youngest of your subordinates, sir."-

"Really…?"-

"He managed to slay two of the baron's soldiers and was able to evade the others in pursuing him."-

"Is that so?" The colonel pondered. "How interesting…"

"Could it have been an alliance scout?" Allgota asked. "Sneer might have sent one of his best agents here to see if they could stop us from establishing absolute authority over this world."

"I don't think so." The shinobi replied. "He was wearing an Imperial uniform." The five were shocked.

"Did you say an Imperial uniform?" Custis asked.

"Aye, sir…"-

"Possibly an agent hoping to sever our ties with the baron…" Defoe said. "The alliance was clever, dressing one of their own in our uniforms and then sending them off to wreak havoc upon our ranks."

"Have your men silence this intruder." Von Kreist ordered. "Track down this rat and have him killed on sight. Do whatever it takes to silence him before he starts causing more mayhem for us."

"What about the officer and soldiers who were involved and saw this miscreant in action?" the shinobi asked, "No doubt that they may try to tell the baron. And knowing Bomburst, he'll have us shackled in no time believing that it may have been one of our men who assaulted and killed his soldiers."

"Even if he did find out, I highly doubt that he'll try anything reckless. There may only be a hand full of us, but we can take on anything that the good baron can throw. But nevertheless, it's best that we maintain the facts of this incident to ourselves. Eliminate all who were involved. And if you can find that intruder and kill him, then do so without haste."-

"Understood…"-

"Then be on your way."-

"Sir,"-

The shinobis withdrew as mysteriously as they had arrived.

"In the meantime, it's best that we prepare with out own strategies, gentlemen." Von Kreist ordered. "Withdraw to the castle and let us convey a meeting with our superiors."

"Sir…" The subordinates replied. Three of them quickly turned and withdrew along with the colonel. But Von Kreist realized that the one of his subordinates, young Captain Dalius Sorbet, was still in a semi daze.

"You three continue on." The colonel said. "I'll be with you at the moment."

"Yes sir," Custis, Defoe, and Allgota replied and headed towards the grand gates of the castle. In the meantime, the colonel went to Sorbet's side.

"Is there something wrong, captain?"-

"I don't know." Sorbet replied.

"Something pining in your mind…?"-

"I don't know how to explain it, but for some reason I feel nostalgic."-

"And what are you nostalgic over?"-

"That's a mystery to me."-

"Well, enough nostalgia. We still have work to do."-

"Yes sir." Sorbet replied.

"Shall we adjourn for the time being then?"-

"Aye…"-

All the while, Cunla had made his way to an isolated part of the town to which there were no enemy soldiers on patrol. However, he knew that such a predicament could arise, especially after his little scuffle with the baron's guards. Alone and apprehensive, Cunla had to think of some kind of alternative plan that might be able to get him out of his present situation. He couldn't afford to be careless. Now that he had shinobis and the Midnight Faction to worry about, precautions were inevitable.

"There's no doubt in my mind that the Imperial regime is staking out this world to help establish another stronghold." He thought to himself as he nipped on some of the bread that the old woman gave him. "That has to be prevented one way or the other."

Just then, there came the sound of a clomping horse and the wheels of a wagon echoing down another street. Cunla took no mind to it though, believing that it was merely a peddler on the streets selling their trade. The sound of jingle bells could be heard along with the clomping of the horse, which silently rang in Cunla's ears.

"I wish that person would sell their trade someplace else." Cunla grumbled. "I'm having enough trouble trying to concentrate on my next plan as it is." The jingling continued. Cunla ignored the racket as best he could and stared into the distance of the other homes and the surrounding tree canopies, seeking and sensing for the shinobis who might still be observing him from afar. He sought out their power levels. Sure enough, he sensed their individual life sources. "They're near alright. They might be planning to ambush me. Well, so long as I can sense their life force, they can't hide from me no matter how thorough they conceal their movements."

Just then, there came a call for Cunla from the far end of the street.

"Hey you, boy," the voice shouted. Cunla quickly drew up his Gae Bulga, fearing that it might be more of the soldiers coming to capture him. But instead, he saw two men dressed in civilian wear. One man was short and middle aged with a thick moustache in which its grey matched the hair that topped his head. He was the local toymaker. Next to him was a tall man, younger than the toymaker, yet older than Cuchulain. He was a man perhaps in his late thirties. He had dark brown hair, well groomed, showing that he was still a proper gentlemen. He wore a brown English style of attire.

"It's another child." The toymaker said. "Is he one of yours?"

"No he isn't…" the tall man replied.

"But what is he doing here? Perhaps he is one of the baron's."-

"We don't know that for sure." The tall man called out of Cunla. Cunla raised his weapon.

"Stay back," he declared.

"Calm down, son, we're not going to hurt you."-

"Are you with the baron?"-

"No…"-

"The question is are you?" the toymaker asked.

"Of course not…" Cunla replied.

"Then we have no need to quarrel with you." The tall man said. "Lower your weapon."-

Cunla cautiously lowered the Gae Bulga, but kept his guard up in case something was to happen. The tall man approached.

"I don't believe we were properly introduced." The tall man explained. "My name is Caractacus Potts."

"And I am the toymaker." The toymaker added.

"I'm Cunla." Cunla replied.

"And what brings you to Vulgaria?"-

"Well, I came here simply to get something to eat. But from what the old woman outside of town tells me, this country does not allow children. She told me that this country has forbidden the presence of children for the past five years because the Baron and the Baroness hate kids."-

"That is right. The Baroness especially hates them. She finds children to be more of a nuisance, putting them in level with rodents or vermin."-

"I see…"-

"But lately, the baron has been after a flying motor car."-

"So I understand. The old woman and I saw the vehicle fly overhead not too long ago." Cunla looked at Caractacus. "I take it that you were the one who was driving that vehicle."

"Yes," Potts replied. "I invented it."

"Ingenious as it may be, it was foolish for you to come here."-

"I had no choice. The Baron kidnapped Grandpa…my father."-

"I see…"-

"We came here to get him and we're not leaving Vulgaria without him."-

"We…?" Cunla asked.

"Yes, I came here with my two children Jeremy and Jemima, and Miss Truly Scrumptious."-

"Scrumptious eh…?" Cunla inwardly thought. "I swear they pick names out of the blue like this is some sort of two bit musical. Either that or this guy's trying to be funny."

"I keep telling to go while he can," the toymaker said, "But he insists on staying."

"My father is still in that castle." Caractacus implied. "And I told you that until he's free, we're not leaving!"

"But the child catcher…"-

"Child catcher…?" Cunla asked.

"He's a ghastly and frightening man, the one responsible for hunting out children. He rides upon a prison wagon pulled by a black horse carrying a net and hook. His skin is pale and his nose…his nose can sniff out the scent of children from anywhere."-

"That man eh…?" Cunla pondered. "So he's the child catcher."

"I am telling you now," The toymaker said to Caractacus, "The longer you stay here, the greater the chances are for the child catcher to find your children. He is not as easy to elude as the soldiers."

"He won't get the children, I swear on that." Caractacus declared.

But no sooner had he said that, commotion began to rise not too far away. There was the sound of screaming and yelling intermingling with the fast galloping pace of a horse. Cunla, Potts, and the toymaker quickly scurried to where they heard the noise. As they reached one of the street crossings, they witnessed as black carriage passed with great haste. The driver was all dressed in black and he constantly lashed at the horse's rear, urging the animal to go faster. And in the carriage itself, two little children, a boy and a girl, were seen screaming out from behind the iron bars.

"The children…!" the toymaker gasped.

"Jeremy, Jemima!" Caractacus shouted.

"Daddy, daddy," the two siblings cried.

"What happened…?"-

"Caractacus…!" a voice shouted. The trio turned to see a young woman, fair and light in complexion with flowing blonde hair came running towards them. It was Truly Scrumptious, the young woman whom Caractacus spoke of.

"Truly, what happened…?"-

"The children, he took the children!" she cried.

"No…"-

"Bastard…" Cunla growled. "I'll get him."

But no sooner had he said that, three shuriken appeared out of no where and landed at his feet. Soon after, four shinobis appeared.

"You will not be going anywhere." The first shinobi declared.

"You are Cunla the traitor." The second said.

"Who are these men?" the toymaker asked.

"Imperial scum…" Cunla replied. Cunla drew forth his weapon. "I take it that you're here to scout the area and establish another outpost?"

"That was our objective." the lead ninja replied. "But now we have new orders. And that is ordering the execution of any conspirators that might be about. And to think that the person we have to eliminate would be you, Cunla, son of Cuchulain."

"By order of the Imperial Regime and His Excellency Lord Sirius Viicous, we hereby initiate your assassination." A second shinobi declared.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I will not die so easily." Cunla replied.

"You are a fool." The leader declared. "A warrior like you cannot match the skill and stealth of a shinobi."

The four surrounded Cunla. Instantly, they began to execute a series of hand signals, unleashing a powerful jutsu. Cunla was caught by it, the genjutsu of the four.

"You will die a slow and painful death by means of the delusions that you will undergo." the second in command said.

"Our jutsu has never been broken by our prey." a third shinobi said. "No matter how cunning they may think they are, they have never beaten us."

But suddenly, Cunla's eyes began to pulsate. Suddenly, the genjutsu was broken as easily as it was established. The four ninjas were shocked.

"Fools," Cunla said. Using a downward slash, he cut the ground to which the shinobis were standing. The four were quickly air bourn. But no sooner had they leaped to their safely, Cunla vanished only to appear again. He cut down two of the shinobi without pause and without difficulty.

"Impossible…" the second in command uttered. "He struck down both of our subordinates in an instant." But no sooner had he said that. Cunla threw the shuriken he had earlier confiscated, striking the second-in-command upon the throat. The knife went all the way threw, killing him instantly. Before the leader could react, Cunla had deployed his sword and sliced at the shinobi's right arm, crippling it for good. He twirled and struck at the right leg, maiming the ninja so he couldn't get away. The ninja was struck to the ground and his left arm elbow was impaled on the ground by Cunla's blade.

"You underestimated me." Cunla said. "Just because you're ninjas doesn't necessarily mean that you're invincible."

"But how did you break our jutsu…?" the shinobi gasped.

"You're talking to one who has also excelled in the ninja arts. I know that your jutsu only works on those who are either below or level to you. I also know that countering the jutsu ahead of time will prevent any form of manipulation to occur. That is what I have learned. But unlike you, I did not take the path of a true shinobi. To me, fighting face to face is one of the ways that I maintain my sense of honor." Cunla drew out his sword from the ninja's arm. "Besides, your abilities are trivial compared to General Saber. He too strayed away from being a true shinobi. The reason being is because he became too formidable to stay in the shadows." Cunla held the point of the sword to the ninja's throat. "Do you know why shinobis are stealthy and use deception to fight their battles?" Cunla's blue eyes seemed soulless as he peered into the ninja's pupils. "It's because they are too weak to fight their foes directly."

Cunla thrust his sword downward. The shinobi opened one eye and realized that Cunla had purposely aimed his blade harmlessly upon the ground and inch away from his throat.

"I'm not dead…?" the shinobi uttered.

"I have killed enough." Cunla said. "I will let you live." Cunla drew back his sword into its sheath. He then pulled out from his pocket a bag of senzu beans. Taking out one, he broke it in half. "Eat that."

The shinobi did as he was told and ate it. In seconds, he was refurbished, his wounds healed.

"I'm well..."-

"Now go." Cunla said. "I set you free."

"But why...? You know I'll end up fighting you again. You restored my strength and now I can use it to kill you."-

"Do what you will. But think before you act."-

The shinobi drew out his kunai and prepared for another attack against his foe. But he knew all too well the reality of the situation and the reputation of the opponent that confronted him. Before him stood Cunla, a mere boy of thirteen years who did not waver. He stood like a rock, his gaze unbroken. The shinobi knew in his heart that he stood no chance. The element of surprise was out of his favor, he was in the open, and three of his teammates lay dead on the ground. And if three out of four shinobis could be so easily vanquished, what chance would on shinobi have? Attempts to strike at Cunla would be in vain.

"I will remember this…" the shinobi said. He suddenly turned and withdrew from the scene, leaving his fallen comrades in the streets.

"Why did you let him go?" Caractacus asked.

"I've spilled enough blood." Cunla replied. "Killing him would have been a wasted effort." Cunla gripped onto the Gae Bulga. "Besides, the child catcher got away. No doubt that those two children are now at his mercy. We'll have to conjure a plan."

"You do realize he will tell on you."-

"That's exactly what I want. If the Imperial Axis is involved in this world, I want them to know that their task has just gotten harder."-

"Do you intend to do something about it?"-

"I do…"-

"But what do you think you can accomplish?" the toymaker protested. "You think you can just barge in and take on the entire Vulgarian army single-handed?"

"The toymaker is right." Truly added. "It would be suicide to go in alone."

"I suppose you have a point." Cunla replied. "Charging in would be reckless." Cunla turned to the toymaker, Caractacus Potts, Miss Scrumptious, and several other villagers. "However, if you want the Baron to pay for what he's done, you'll have to take on some form of resistance. So why not start now?"-

What Cunla said was true. It was possible for resistance to rise now that the spark has been lit.

"That's an idea." Caractacus said. "I think you may have something there, young Cunla."

"Wait a minute," the toymaker interjected. "How do you expect us to overthrow the Baron? Do you expect simple townsfolk to go against well disciplined troops who are fortified behind their high walls? We have no weapons besides out tools and pitchforks."

"You want your children back don't you?" Cunla asked. His words silenced the toymaker's objection.

"Well yes…"-

"You want them to live freely and not worry about having to be taken away from your arms again correct?"-

"Yes…"-

"You want to make sure that they are happy, right?"-

"Of course… I would be out of my mind if I didn't agree with you."-

"Then we have to take action."-

"But you can't expect these villagers to just rise up and storm the fortress do you?" Miss Scrumptious advised. "That would be preposterous."

"I've already taken that into account." Cunla assured the young lady. "And I intend not to approach so directly."

"Then how did you plan on getting in?"

"I wonder…" Cunla pondered. He turned to the toymaker. "Is there anyone who has solid knowledge of the castle's interior?"

"You know…" The toymaker said, "I think I may have a solution. Just follow me."

Cunla, Caractacus, and Miss Scrumptious followed silently, escorted to wherever it was that the toymaker wanted to lead them.

All the while, the child catcher entered the grand hall before Baron Bomburst and the Baroness, presenting Pott's children, Jeremy and Jemima, like animals in their cage, which was carried by four of the elite guards.

"Children, your majesty!" the child catcher said with a bow. The Baron and the Baroness, surrounded by their attendants and advisors, cautiously approached the cage, looking on in awe and disgust at the boy and girl.

"Are you sure that they cannot get out?" the Baroness asked.

"Absolutely, my lady, they are secure behind my iron bars."-

One of the advisors drew forth his hand, as if wanting to touch and pet the children. But Jeremy, like a piranha, threw his head forward with teeth revealed trying to bite the man.

"Oh horrid little things!" he said.

"Wait until our daddy comes to get you!" Jeremy boldly declared.

"He's going to make sure that you pay once and for all." Jemima added, sticking by her elder brother.

"Silence, you little insects!" the Baroness shouted. "No one is coming to save you now! You are within the secured walls of our castle!"

"And we will make sure that you never see outside these walls again!" the Baron added.

"Our daddy will come!" Jeremy shouted. "And he will teach you a lesson, you mean Baron!" The squealing voice of the young lad was enough to turn the Baron's face even redder than before.

"How dare you, impertinent whelp!"-

"Here, here," the advisors shouted. There was quarreling and bickering towards the children. That was until the thunderous shot of a pistol and a bellowing voice erupted.

"What is going on?!" the voice shouted. Everyone present turned to see Colonel Valjean Von Kreist and his four subordinates standing at the stairwell.

"We have caught two children, colonel." The Baron said. "And one of them tried to bite my advisor"

"Children…" The colonel worked his way in to see the children. Unlike the attitude towards Baron Bomburst, Jeremy and Jemima found Colonel Von Kreist an intimidating and frightening sight. He was not at all pudgy and laughable as the Baron, which is why their tongues were still. "You put up a bunch of fuss for the sake of a couple snot nosed brats?" He glared at the Baron. "What kind of delusional aristocracy are you running here?"

"But they are children…"-

"And…?"-

"Well…we hate children…"-

"They are disgusting little creatures…" the Baroness added.

"I don't care if you plan to use them for guarder grip stockings, you brainless ditz!" The Colonel bellowed, shocking the lot. "All I know is that your emphasis on this menagerie is wasting my time. You forget that we are here to establish commerce in this world, Baron. In return, you need us to expand trade and enrich your miserable little regime and keep it well secured from the peasantry. Now if you'd prefer, I can simply excuse myself of my services."-

"No, no…" the Baron pleaded, "There is no need for that."

"Then I suggest that you cooperate and do as I say."-

"Yes, colonel…"-

"Now get these little rugrats out of my sight!"-

"Yes sir…" the Baron turned to the guards. "Take them to the tower!"

"To the tower," the advisors concurred like squawking parrots.

"Captain Allgota…!" the colonel hollered.

"Did you summon me, sir?" the Captain replied as he came to the side of his superior.

"I want you and the other subordinates to secure yourselves on each of the four perimeters. Keep watch for any suspicious activity."-

"Are you expecting something, sir?"-

"I expect a battle to commence today."-

"With who…?"-

"Who else, those meddlesome villagers…"-

"The villagers…? But they pose no threat to us here, sir."-

"Just do it... That's an order…"-

"But what is your hunch, sir?"-

"The shinobis I sent out have not yet returned, which indicates to me that something has happened. You should recall earlier that they beheld a stranger who slew a few of the Baron's men. I can only imagine that this stranger is actually an Alliance agent who is highly skilled." He turned to the captain. "Now do as I say."

"Understood…"-

The captain withdrew, leaving the colonel in his thoughts. Not long, the shinobi appeared before his superior.

"I have returned, sir." The shinobi declared.

"I can see that." The colonel replied. He looked about, seeing no sign of the other three. "And where are your other three companions?"

"They have been slain, sir."-

"Is that so? Well, did you manage to carry out the mission?"-

"We tracked down the officer and the men who witnessed the death of those two soldiers. We believe…"-

"I don't care about them." Von Kreist growled. "They're just minuscule matters. I only want to know if the new arrival has been executed successfully." The shinobi was silent. Von Kreist turned his back on the shinobi and folded his arms in front of him. "I'm waiting for your answer."

"Well, the thing is…"-

"Is he dead or not…?"-

"No, sir…" the shinobi bowed his head respectfully. "I regret to inform you that the target was not eliminated."

"Is that so…?"-

"He was the one who killed my other comrades, sir."-

"Really…? You say they died, but yet you return without a single scratch."-

"There were reasons, sir."-

"Well, from what your presence indicates to me is that…" Kreist suddenly turned in lightning speed. His hand was gripped upon the handle of his saber, which flew from the confinements of its scabbard. The glittering steel made a quick clean cut, severing the head of the poor shinobi from his shoulders. "You have failed, my incompetent friend." The body of the shinobi fell to the ground only seconds after his head had rolled to the floor and settled no more than a few feet away.

"Sir…" a voice gasped. Von Kreist looked to see young Sorbet standing no more than a few feet away from the ghastly execution. "You killed him…"

"I did." The colonel replied as he wiped the blood from his sword upon the body of the slain shinobi.

"But why…?"-

"He has only proven to me that he was ineffective." He sheathed his sword. "That shinobi was strong, but not strong enough. Therefore, there was no need to keep him around any longer." He looked into the eyes of his subordinate. "You know me. I never accept failure…ever. And to fail means that you are inept. Hence, you are required to forfeit your own life. That is the policy I stand by and it is one that I expect my subordinates to stand by. Is that clear?"

"Of course…"-

"Besides, he was a mere shinobi, not worth anything to grumble over. Had he stayed to fight to the last, I would have accepted that much more."-

"But should we fail you, are we to forfeit our lives?"-

"Well…" Von Kreist sighed. "I believe I can make exceptions for officers above sergeant. Anyway, if I ordered the execution of each of my subordinates, I'd have no more to send into the field. And I don't believe that His Excellency Lord Sirius Viicous would be happy about that."

"Still…" Sorbet approached the decapitated body of the shinobi. "I believe that your actions may have been too hasty, sir."

"How so…?"-

"This man may have had a few more facts to share with us, such as the identity of the culprit who slew some of the baron's soldiers as well as three of our four assigned scouts."-

"I know that all too well." Valjean said.

"You do…?" the captain was bewildered. "Then why on earth would you have slain him so quickly without extracting that last bit of information."

"Because I like a challenge…" Von Kreist rubbed his palms together. "Never before have my four shinobis been defeated so easily, let alone having three being slain. That means that this menace must be quite a skilled combatant and tactician. And to disguise him self in an Imperial uniform to elude detection, I can only perceive that this person is a veteran in their trade." The colonel looked to the midday sky. "Besides, this couldn't have been a more opportune time. If all goes well, and this individual does intend to oppose us, he will most likely have to go against Baron Bomburst. And with any luck, both of them will wipe each other out. Imagine the chaos that will ensue. And we will have first glance at the havoc."

"From what I've heard so far, this individual is more than a match for the Baron's soldiers." Sorbet said.

"Two soldiers are one thing. A full regiment stationed at the castle, that's a completely different matter. And once this upstart has done away with our pompous pawn, if he emerges the victor in the end, and has drained him self of his power then we will step in and finish him. Let's see how this turns out. Perhaps our assignment won't be as dull as I had perceived."-

All the while, the toymaker had accompanied Lady Truly Scrumptious, Caractacus Potts, and Cunla through an underground passage that leads to the very catacombs of the castle, an area unknown to even the Baron. The passage was only accessible by boat. Ergo the four silently rowed through a stone carved tunnel, in which the entry way was covered with vegetation, concealing their movements. The boat traveled for a quarter of a mile though a winding corridor. So dark was the tunnel, the toymaker had to light a torch to illuminate the way.

The sound of dripping water could be heard as moisture trickled down the stone cavern through cracks in the granite. Eventually, the shadowy journey was over as they came to a series of lights at the end of the tunnel. As the boat shifted down the waterway into the dull brightness, Cunla, Potts, and Scrumptious looked on in awe at a vast stone cavern. Torches were lit upon the walls. There were also small fires to which individuals could keep warm.

"Look at this place." Caractacus uttered.

As they observed further, the four came to realize that surrounding them on the banks of the waterway were hundreds of children, boys and girls, who stood vigilant at the newcomers. They were of a great many ages, from infants and toddlers, to children of kindergarten age, to those who were in their adolescent years, some equal or older than Cunla.

"What is this?" Scrumptious asked.

"This is the haven." The toymaker explained. "This is where we hide our children."

The four reached a small docking area which led up to the stone banks. The children and some adults observed their disembarking.

"My Goodness…" Caractacus uttered. "There are so many."

"They have been hiding here going on five years." The toymaker said as he patted one of the little boys on the head as he passed. The four went amongst the children.

"The poor dears…" Scrumptious said.

Just then, there came a commotion at the other end of the chamber.

"There's food," a ragged teenage boy shouted. "There's food coming!"

"Food, food," some of the children said as they rushed to where the youth stood. They came upon a platform, the highest in the cavern. Before them, built into the side of the wall was a shoot. And from that chute, scraps of left over vegetables, bread, and cooked meats came down.

"What is that?" Caractacus asked.

"That is the only real main source of food that the children have to rely on." The toymaker explained. "That is a garbage chute from the castle. All the leftover food is tossed down from the kitchen to here. That is what the children eat mostly. They cannot afford luxuries. Though we sneak in as much fresh bread and vegetables as best we can, we cannot bring in enough to nurture them all. And if we did, then this forgotten part of the castle would be rediscovered by the baron's soldiers. And who knows what may happen. As far as I am concerned, we cannot put our children into any danger."

"To think that kids would have live like this…" Cunla said to himself. "They have to dwell underground like rats and scrounge like animals, eating leftover scraps."

"Children should never have to be brought up into this world like this, having no place to run around, not able to feel the sun on their faces."-

"Son," Caractacus shouted to the teenage boy at the chute.

"Yes…?" the boy replied.

"I'm looking for my children. Do you know if they're in the castle somewhere?"-

"A boy and a girl…?"-

"Yes…!"-

"They are in the tower."-

"And their grandfather…?"-

"Down in the dungeon."-

"That proves it then." Caractacus said to Cunla and Truly. "My family is being held captive by the baron."

"Sir…" another boy said. He was no older than seven at least. "Are you here to help us?" Caractacus looked down in the brown eyes of the child. He then gazed up at the other children whose faces seemed to light up with hope.

"Yes, that is what we're going to do." He put his hand upon the boy's head. "We're going to see to it that from this day forward, you all will not have to worry about living like this ever again."

"But how will you do that?" a young girl asked.

"Yes," another boy said, "The baron will not allow it."

"That's why we're here." Cunla replied. "We are here to put an end to Bomburst's regime once and for all."

"You mean overthrow him?" a teenage girl asked.

"That's right."-

"That's impossible." A teenage boy objected, stepping forth. He was about fifteen years old. "The castle is armed to the teeth with the baron's soldiers. We have no weapons to fight them with."

"No weapons at all?"-

"There are a few medieval weapons stored about the place, but nothing more than that. Those, however, won't prove much of a match against firearms."-

"That's the reason why we plan on attacking the baron indirectly, when he least expects it."-

"But how…?"-

"How well do you know the interior of the castle?"-

"We know it both in and out." Another fifteen year old youth declared. He was a strapping young lad, with brown hair and hazel green eyes.

"You do…?"-

"I know each corridor like the back of my own hand. That's because I was the one responsible for stealing goods throughout the castle. I know nooks and crannies that the baron has no knowledge of."-

"And what's your name?" Cunla asked.

"My name is Hans."-

"Well Hans is there any vital information that you can share with us?"-

"I have been up to the castle recently and realize that there is a grand banquet and ball that'll be thrown later today in honor of the baron's birthday."-

"Oh yes, I forgot to mention that." The toymaker replied. "Today is the baron's birthday. That is the reason why I was creating some new toys."

"For the baron…?" Cunla thought to himself. "Just how old is Bomburst mentally?"

"That gives me an idea." Caractacus explained. "Perhaps we can use this banquet to our advantage."

"How so?" the toymaker asked.

"You're making new toys for the baron's birthday, right?"-

"Yes…"-

"What sort of toys?"-

"I was creating two large scale dolls for him to play with. One is a large music box with a young Alps woman that moves and sings. The second is a stuffed doll that winds up and moves about on its own."-

"Is that so? Then I think I just found the basis of our plan. We'll use your toys and the baron's birthday party as means to our ends." Caractacus turned to the children. "Did you all hear that? As of this day, you will all be free from Bomburst's grasps. If the baron has a party today, then we will give him a celebration that he will never forget!"-

The children became jubilant at the declaration and cheered.

"Alright," Cunla said. "We have to crowd motivated, what happens now?"

"This is what we'll do." Caractacus began. "But we'll have to act fast before the baron's party begins."

A plan was set in motion. Hopefully, by the end of the day, a five year of oppression against children will finally come crashing down.


	2. Old Paths

Old Paths

Old Paths

Stationed at the highest tower of the castle, Colonel Valjean Von Kreist was examining the recent reports on the progressiveness of Imperial influence throughout different world. His reaction, however, was not a positive one, but rather somewhat agitated. Everywhere in Imperial controlled territory, there were uprisings, and the list of those Imperial soldiers, slain and wounded, was only extending further with every passing day. What mostly concerned him was the recent battle of Long Valley that erupted only a few days before.

"Damn it," he growled, "Because of that failed campaign we have to maintain our idleness. I can't believe our attack on Oceansburg failed. It's all because of those cankerous young bloods that were sent to protect it at the last moment. If it were not for them, we would have been able to overthrow Oceansburg and bring ruin to the Universal Alliance once and for all. The loss of that capital would have assured a significant blow and the eventual downfall of that corrupted organization of so called democracy. The people are not worth being given that freedom. They only cause chaos with such rights."

It was at that moment, there was a knock at the door. "Enter…!"

It was then that young Captain Dalius Sorbet entered the room. He saluted his superior.

"All officers have been stationed at their posts, sir." Sorbet replied. "I myself included."

"Thank you for informing me, captain." Von Kreist looked at the youth realizing, through his expression, that something was on his mind. "What are you thinking, Captain Sorbet?"

"I'm just a little bit concerned, sir."-

"Of what…?"-

"Well, we're preparing ourselves for battle, sir. But I don't think there is anything really threatening here. I might be able to expect hostilities from the local inhabitance, due to the issues against children, but civilians couldn't hope to stir up trouble and succeed. They would never think of storming the walls, not with only pitchforks and homemade tools as weapons."-

"You can never be too careful, young Sorbet. Civilians are usually the most dangerous. They may not have the same discipline as a well trained soldier, but the fury they display is no more diminished. And because we linger amongst them, we are always in constant danger. You never know the docile from the hostile." Valjean turned towards the youth. "The question you really have to ask is if you are willing to slay civilians if they rise up against us."

"I know my duty, sir. I will kill civilians if they show any hostility to me and threaten to take my life."-

"Then what's the concern…?"-

"I just still feel a little uneasy having to battle civilians."-

"Then you better hope that they don't start anything." Von Kreist went back to his work. "Besides, what concerns me more is this individual who thwarted the baron's soldiers and my shinobis earlier today. That is the most relevant matter at hand."

"So I've heard." Sorbet said. "Captain Allgota informed us. Do you really think that this person might be an alliance agent hoping to stir up conflict?"

"He was reported to have been dressed in an Imperial uniform. Ergo, I hypothesize that this individual may be trying to severe the ties between the baron and us and create a rift of suspicion."-

"But the baron knows he can't thrive without us."-

"That's why he hasn't taken immediate actions against us." Von Kreist explained. "He knows that killing us would only prove more of a loss. The information of this incident hasn't fully been confirmed, so turning against us on unproven presumptions would be bad form. Then there would be nothing, other than what he has, that would protect the baron against an already rising tide of anti-sentiment against him by the populous of his own country. Thus, we are at an advantage, but at the same time we have a disadvantage here, captain. Because of the disaster at Long Valley and Oceansburg, hope for reinforcements are now severely limited and we can no longer expect assistance from more support troops whenever we call for it. Hence, we cannot be reckless from this point on. Each person has a purpose."

"Then what about that shinobi you hastily executed? Wasn't he still of use?"-

"I only realize how critical a mistake my hasty action was after reading these reports on the regime's progress. We will just have to compensate for the loss. However, we must tread softly until we can summon available backup. Despite our superiority in combat, we lack in numbers here with only ten Imperial soldiers to act as a support troop. In the end, it would be superior numbers that would carry the day. The baron's soldiers for one may not be equal to us, but they are still well disciplined. And it wouldn't be hard for them to eliminate a few of us. The same goes for the town civilians. They are weak and unorganized, but they can attack in waves. To add, with this newly arrived threat now lingering about somewhere in the country, our prospects of success have decreased."-

"I give you this then, sir." Dalius Sorbet replied. "This threat, this Alliance intruder, whoever he is, will die at my hands."

"Still trying to prove that you are the best of all your peers, eh?"-

"It was a promise I made to an old friend of mine." Sorbet tightened his fist.

"An old friend…?"-

"From the academy…"-

"One of those rivaling relations, right…?"-

"You might say that…"-

"Well, you do what you need to do." With that Von Kreist continued on with his analysis and research of the recent updates. "This regime, I fear, is starting to go down the drain. I have no idea why His Excellency Lord Sirius Viicous ever decided to ally himself with suspicious characters like Montague and Rellantando."

"It seemed a well proposed strategy at the time, sir."-

"That's true, but those three, in my opinion can't really see eye to eye. And then we have this little problem of defecting officers." Pictures of three of the most wanted individuals of the Imperial regime appeared on the screen. "Ophelia Billiard, Kirin of the Flaming Blades, and the number one assassin whom now goes by the title of Cunla. They happen to have been the most effective and more reliable of all our officers. Yet they all have defected against us. And here I was thinking that their loyalties were absolute…"-

"Yes…" Sorbet said as he gazed at the pictures. "Absolute…"

Suddenly, there came another knock at the door. Sorbet and Von Kreist became alert of this new visitor.

"Who is it?" Valjean declared.

"It is Baron Bomburst." A voice replied.

"Enter…"-

The fat baron came in content and jolly, with a glass of red wine in his hand. He was dressed in his best white and silver entourage.

"Well, good afternoon, colonel!" the baron chuckled with a boisterous voice and his double chin waddling with every guffaw.

"Baron…" Valjean replied with a sigh.

"You have been cooped up here for almost the entire day. Why don't you come and join me for our banquet."-

"Banquet…? A masquerade ball…?"-

"Oh no… It's just a little celebration that has been planned by the baroness and my other advisors. We are going to celebrate my birthday!"-

"Oh I had no idea, baron. Happy Birthday…"-

"Oh, thank you, colonel. Well, if you'd like, you can come down and join the festivities. We begin activities at exactly two o'clock." He pulled out his pocket watch and looked at the time. "It's almost that time now."

"I would be most honored, sir." Von Kreist said, putting on his best smile. "I must, however, first attend to some serious matters."

"Take your time. Just don't be too long. Otherwise, there will not be anything left."-

"I understand."-

"Well, I am off!" the baron, in all his frivolity, exited the room with a boast. The door closed behind him. Von Kreist's smile suddenly vanished and he went back to his business.

"Pompous twit…" he grumbled.

"Are you planning on attending his celebration, sir?" Sorbet asked.

"Of course not, captain, we have other matters to attend to."-

"What about keeping face?"-

"I'll risk losing face if it means not having to look at his."-

The afternoon celebrations commenced as they were planned. The baron's entire court attended. There were councilors, consultants, advisors, and some military officers who were taking leave from their duties to attend the party. Alongside them were their mistresses and escorts. Food and wine was served in lavish banquet style while the orchestra played waltzes, some in minor scale. The color was rather drab to look as with light purples intermingling with shiny silver, pearl white, and the occasional black lining. Still, there was a stout and jolly heart in everyone who came, all except for Baron Bomburst. His enthusiasm shortly died out. He sat at the head of the table, slouching upon his throne as if tired or somewhat disinterested as he watched his guest dance away on the ballroom floor.

"Oh, what a rotten birthday party…" he grumbled.

"What is the matter, dear?" the baroness asked. "Are you not having fun? Are you ill?"

"It's not that. Every year it's the same thing. We always have a banquet with the same dishes, the same dancing, the same chattering and nonsense. I can even point out how certain people will act."-

"Now, now my little lovey dovey," The baroness tried to cheer up her pompous husband, putting a large purple grape in his mouth, which the baron immediately spat out in disgust. "I have ordered the toymaker to bring in some new things for you."

"Presents…?" the baron's spirits suddenly rose. "You got me presents? Oh you shouldn't have my little choochy face."

"I always think about you, my love." The baroness stood and announced her declaration one of the guards. "Summon the toymaker!"

"Summon the toy maker!" the guard passed the message along.

Upon hearing this, the party guest drifted from the ballroom floor, clearing the way for an exhibition before the baron. All the while, the grand doors of the castle opened and the little toymaker entered, walking down the black and white tile floor of the grand hall. He seemed timid at first, not wanting to haste his approach. But the baron became impatient.

"Well, don't keep us waiting, hurry up!" he shouted. The toy maker had no other choice, but to oblige. His quickened walk was amusement for the upstart guests who pointed and laughed at this stout little old man. The toymaker took of his hand and stood humble and somewhat jittery before his sovereign.

"Your Excellency," he stuttered, "On behalf of your subjects, I would like to wish you a Happy Birthday."

"Yes, yes, yes, get on with it? What have you brought me?"-

"Oh, you will enjoy this, Your Excellency. They are my greatest creations. It took me a great deal of time to assemble them. So these are very special toys for your very special day." The toymaker gave the signal to the guard at the door. "Bring them please."

Just then eight soldiers appeared with four each carrying two massive, yet brilliantly colored boxes. The soldiers set the boxes down. The toymaker unlatched one and revealed the Alps women music box first. In actuality, the woman atop the turn table was actually Lade Truly Scrumptious who was masquerading as a doll. She remained stationary, taking steady breaths so no one would catch on.

At first glance, however, the baron was shocked with disappointment at the sight of his supposed new toy.

"Dolls, dolls…?" he shouted. "I have hundreds of dolls!" Bomburst started to whine somewhat. "No dolls, no more dolls!"

"But you Excellency." The toymaker assured him. "This is not your average ordinary doll. This is in fact a music box that I created. I show you!" The toymaker took hold of the large key that was on the rotating base to which Miss Truly stood. He cranked the key clockwise at least three to four times. It was then that the table started to turn, humming a music box tune. Miss Truly began to turn around on the rotating table. Just then, she started to move as if mechanically. And then, in the next moment, she started to sing.

_What do you see  
You people gazing at me  
You see a doll on a music box  
That's wound by a key  
How can you tell  
I'm under a spell  
I'm waiting for love's first kiss  
You cannot see  
How much I long to be free  
Turning around on this music box  
That's wound by a key  
Yearning  
Yearning  
While_

_I'm turning around and around_

The last few notes of the music box were struck and Miss Scrumptious went into a dormant faze as would have been expected of windup dolls after the thrust of their gears had died down. Soon all was quiet. But immediately thereafter, there came applause from all present as they were awe-stuck by this supposedly unique item.

However, this applause was shot lived as the second box suddenly collapsed, revealing another doll. This time it was a large raggedy doll of a happy male youth with a bright orange and yellow themed entourage from the shoes worn to the frilly hair atop his head. The face was blushed as if smiling. Like a puppet on a string, the doll stood up. The audience gasped in awe at the sight of the toymaker's recent creation. Little did the guest realize that this mechanical wonder was actually Caractacus Potts dressed in disguise. He stepped forth before the baron's table. He then looked around in wonder, as if a small child in a domain of endless wonders. Potts looked to the orchestra situated at the top balcony. Waving his arms, as if conducting, he started the band up. A delightful piece of music was echoing throughout the hall and the doll started dancing and twirling about. His antics drew the crowd into a frenzy of delight and jollity.

All the while, with attentions drawn to the party, neither the baron nor any of his soldiers or subjects was aware of what was taking place. From the very back of the hall, Cunla, the young man Hans, and a handful of other teenage boys were contemplating their move. Cunla poked his head out to observe the banquet.

"Things are all going to plan." Cunla said. "Are the boys at their stations?"

"They are." Hans replied.

"And what of the villagers…?"-

"They're on standby out of the castle's view just as planned."-

"Good…"-

"But do you really think this plan will work?" one of the boys asked.

"Bomburst is anticipating possible attacks from the outer walls. That's why his entire military force has been assembled on the high defenses. This, however, is one thing that he'll never suspect; an attack from within the castle itself. From what I've seen of Bomburst, he's certainly terrible when it comes to tactics." Cunla turned to Hans. "You and the boys go and get Pott's father out of the dungeon. I'll go to the tower and get his kids out. And if anyone sees you, make sure to dispose of them so they won't sound an alarm."

"Right…"-

The team thus separated leaving the toymaker, Truly, and Potts to carry out with their phase of the attack.

All the while, Potts continued dancing about, continuing to mesmerize the crowd with his act. With a final gesture, he ended his frolic with a respectful bow to the baron. There was another loud applause from the audience. But again they were silenced as the doll turned his attention towards the music box. Pretending to be curious, Potts walked up to the music box upon which Miss Truly stood and turned to key three times clockwise. The music began to play and Truly atop the box began to move in her rehearsal, winding about like a mechanical figure. She then began to sing her melodious tune again.

_What do you see  
You people gazing at me  
You see a doll on a music box  
That's wound by a key  
How can you tell  
I'm under a spell  
I'm waiting for love's first kiss  
You cannot see  
How much I long to be free  
Turning around on this music box  
That's wound by a key  
Yearning  
Yearning  
While_

_I'm turning around and around_

Synchronizing his own voice with the song, Caractacus Potts began to add his lyrics to coincide with the young lady.

_Truly scrumptious  
You two are truly scrumptious  
Scrumptious as the breeze across the bay  
When you're smiling  
It's so delicious  
So beguiling  
You're the answer to my wishes  
Truly scrumptious  
You two are truly scrumptious  
And I shan't forget this lovely day  
My heart beats so unruly_

_also love you truly  
Honest truly, I do_

In a posing duet, both ended their song so beautifully. However, in the course of the act, the baron became somewhat suspicious that something was not quite right with the way the dolls were behaving. To him, they seemed too human. As applause broke out with the court, the baron bellowed out in his deep and hoarse like tone.

"Stop," he shouted. All was silent. Lifting himself from his seat, Bomburst approached the stationary duo. Potts and Truly stayed perfectly still to avoid detection. Bomburst came forth and examined them closely. He first observed Truly upon her musical table. He then turned to Potts who was slightly stirring due to the fact that he was giving lip movements to the toymaker on the initiation of their plan. The Baron looked closely at Potts. Caractacus tried to keep perfectly still. Just then, Bomburst reached up and tweaked the nose of the inventor. Just then, Potts sneezed and went into another playful frenzy with the baron. He hopped and jumped and clapped like a clown. The baron, taking delight into the antics of his new toy began to dance as well.

So much was the frolic of these two that no one suspected the sudden appearance of several teenage boys who had suddenly emerged from out of the secret openings in the castle floor. Like mice, they snuck underneath the draped tables. With iron shackles in their hands, they gently clapped each link to the feet of the spectators at the guest tables. No one was slightly aware with all the action that was going around.

An army of male youths, armed with maces, hammers, and staffs, began to sneak into the grand hall unseen. They took their stations behind corners and tapestries and prepared for the signal. That signal came with the descent of a rope from the ceiling, just at the base of the great hanging chandelier. At the end was a hook, which Potts had grabbed. Now don't ask why no one was the least bit suspicious of why there was a large hooked rope coming down from the rafters. The most logical explanation was due to the performance given. No doubt they may have thought that this all was part of the act.

The baron all the while was dancing around like a juvenile. Potts took the liberty of latching the hook of the rope to the belt of the pompous aristocrat. Bomburst, too caught up in his own frivolous enjoyment, continued to hop around in an improvised jig.

"I feel so happy, I could jump for joy!" Bomburst shouted to his guests. The moment he said that, Caractacus gave the signal and the rope was lifted into the air. All the while, Bomburst leaped into the air with such excitement. But his content turned to shock and fright as he was lifted off his feet and sent hurling over the crowd. His joyful laughter turned into petrified screams of terror. The minute this happened, the same happy feeling of his guests immediately disappeared as well. Bomburst hung in the air, suspended by his belt. His fat feet wiggled in the air. "Get me down! Get me down!"

Some of the military officers tried to aid him, but found that they had been locked together by the iron shackles that the boys had latched around their ankles, so many staggered and tripped.

"We've done it." Potts said as he helped Truly off the turn table. "C'mon let's go!"

Just then, two dozen boys leaped out from under the tables, mocking the guests, making sport of their terror, and began to throw ruin upon the banquet.

"Children," the baroness howled, "There are children!"

Some of the guards on duty heard the commotion and quickly ran to the aid of the baron and baroness. But no sooner had they reached their destination, from out of every nook and cranny, an army of angry boys appeared, rushing at the aristocrats. Like a great flood and armed to the teeth, the boys easily brought the soldiers to submission. A large net was dropped from the rafters and bounded upon the court. A rope was then used to bind them together. Women were screaming as all the children threw food and wine onto their eloquent dresses. All was in a ruckus now.

Word quickly spread throughout the castle of the situation and the guards quickly ran to stop this uprising. However, they were caught off guard by more boys who had hidden themselves in the lower halls. Many of the troops were knocked unconscious. All the while, the baron could only watch from his suspended positions as chaos reigned below him.

"Help me," he shouted, "get me down!"

The sound of the battle could be heard from the outer defenses. Lieutenant Crispus Custis and Sergeant Major Carson Defoe were the first ones to hear it. Several other of the baron's soldiers also heard the commotion. At first they did not know what to make of it.

"It sounds like the baron is having too much fun." Custis grumbled.

"I don't know." Defoe replied. Just then, there came the sound of high pitched screams from women, and the bellowing voice of the baron crying for help.

"Something must've happened."-

"But what…?"-

"What is all the commotion about in there?" Captain Allgota asked as he joined his fellow officers.

"I sounds like a fight." Captain Sorbet added.

"Send in the troops to see what's going on."-

"Sir…" Sergeant Major Defoe replied. He gave the signal to the baron's troops. "Get in there and break up any hostilities, if any."

"Sir," one of the baron's officers replied. A column of light infantry was sent in. They stormed through the sealed doors and beheld the hundreds of boys giving their allies hell.

"Stop them," the officer shouted. The column rushed forwards and prepared to assemble a firing line at the steps. But their attempt was dashed as boys appeared from behind the tapestries and threw grease upon the floor, forcing the soldiers to slip and slide. Several of the soldiers managed to fire their guns, but managed to hit nothing of any significance.

The shots indicated that something was definitely wrong. This was of deep concern for Allgota and his fellows.

"Gunshots, that doesn't sound good."-

"Do you think it might be an attack?" Sorbet asked.

"Damn it, they managed to attack us after all, but not in the way we expected. They were able to penetrate to the very interior of the castle."-

"Your orders, sir…?"-

"I want all available columns in there to quell the rebellion."-

"Sir," Sorbet turned to the Sergeant Major. "Give the order."

"Yes, sir…" Defoe replied and withdrew to assemble the men.

"Inform Colonel Von Kreist." Allgota said. "Tell him of the situation."

"Sir…" Sorbet replied.

But such a message was not needed as Valjean Von Kreist heard the gunshots from his chamber.

"What the devil is going on?" he wondered. A soldier passed by. The colonel stopped him. "What is the meaning of all the ruckus downstairs?"-

"There's an uprising, sir." The soldier replied. "We're being attacked."

"Attacked by whom?"-

"Children sir…"-

"Children…?" the colonel scoffed at the thought. "You allowed children to cause this ruckus?"

"They just came swarming about!"-

"Damn, this may change the factor a little." He looked at the soldier. "I'll be right down."

"Sir…" The soldiers went about his duties. Von Kreist turned to the corporal in charge of the ten Imperial support troops. "Send four of your men to get down there and aid the baron. If there are children attacking, open fire with your blasters and kill as many as you can. They'll soon get the message that they shouldn't wage war with adults."

"Sir…" the corporal replied. He and four other men went rushing to the aid of the baron.

"I wasn't expecting this turn though." Von Kreist thought to himself. "I was more anticipating a massive scale battle against the villagers and a great number of casualties. That would have made our job easier for taking control of this realm. But somehow the resistance has managed to bypass the outer defenses and penetrated into the very interior of the castle. If something isn't done now, we make have to forget gaining resources from this world if the populous manage to force Bomburst to advocate his seat of power."

Just then a message came to the colonel on his intercom. It was Dalius Sorbet.

"Colonel," he began, "There is word that a rebellion has broken out in the lower halls."-

"Thank you, captain, but I was already informed." Von Kreist replied. "They say that children are the ones who are attacking."

"Really…? Children…?"-

"Yes, we wanted to know where the villagers have been hiding their children. Well, from their presence in the castle, these juvenile masses must've been seeking refuge in the catacombs of the baron's abode all this time. I've sent my corporal and four privates down to quell this juvenile uprising with specific orders to kill as many children as they can."-

"What do you want us to do?"-

"You stay where you are. There is no need for you to waste your energy against children. The troops of the baron and my five men are more than enough to deal with them."-

"Are you sure?"-

"Children are easily dealt with when their lives are placed in danger. The minute the first few fall; the rebellion will immediately quiver and die."-

As Von Kreist's troopers moved down to the main hall, Truly, Caractacus, and the toymaker were making their way up into the tower, fighting the Baron's guards left and right. It seemed that from out of the woodwork, soldiers leaped out to do battle. It was exasperating, especially for Caractacus who had to protect Truly and worry about the safety of his children at the same time.

"Where the heck are all these soldiers coming from?" He wondered.

"The Boys better get those gates open before the entire garrison swarms down and overpowers us." The toymaker added.

"How much further to the tower?"-

"We should be there soon. We just need to clime a few more flight of stairs."-

The three rushed down one of the corridors. The hall was quiet for the time being. The commotion in the main hall was the real focal point of activity. After ascending a few more flights, Caractacus and his companions reached the cell block where the children were supposedly held.

"This must be the place." Truly said.

"Jemima, Jeremy," Caractacus shouted.

"Daddy, daddy," two voice cried out from one of the cells further down the hall.

"They are down that way!" The toymaker said.

"Let's hurry," Caractacus stated. They headed towards the end of the hall when they met a sudden surprise. The five Imperial soldiers, Colonel Von Kreist deployed to aid the Baron in the main hall, appeared before them.

"It's the inventor!" the corporal replied.

"He must be after the children." Another soldier added.

"Make ready your arms, men!" The five aimed the blasters. "Kill them all!"

"This can't be." Caractacus uttered to himself. "We came so far."

"Quick, duck!" the toymaker shouted, pushing Caractacus and Truly aside, hiding behind columns. The blasters went off destroying parts of the hall. Debris and suit bellowed all over the place, forcing the three rescuers to take cover, shielding their eyes and heads from the falling bits of masonry. There was an uneasy silence that lingered within the hall, the dust was still high in the air blanketing the atmosphere, creating a temporary smoke screen.

"Do you think they're dead, sir?" one of the soldiers asked.

"No," the corporal replied. "I'm detecting heat signatures still present." He directed his four troops to split. "Two men to each side of the hall," The squad separated and walked along the sides of the hall, so as not to be open targets for any retaliation that might occur. They inched closer to the columns where Truly, Caractacus, and the Toymaker were still hiding. "Keep your guards up."

"What do we do now?" Truly asked as she was being held tightly in Caractacus' arms.

"I don't know." Caractacus replied with a whisper.

"We have nothing to defend ourselves with. And those soldiers are coming closer."-

But no sooner had the soldiers reached the columns; a shadow appeared from amongst the group of troopers. He drew out his sword, turned about like lightning and cut the jugulars of the corporal. The other four soldiers turned to see this intruder slay the corporal.

"It's another one!" one of the remaining four cried.

"Kill him!" shouted another. They fired their blasters but missed. The figure lunged forward and struck one of the soldiers through the throat. He then turned and cut forearm of another, severing the blaster from his body. All the while, jumping as another fired his blaster. The assassin leaped over his attacker's head and stabbed the back of his cranium. The blade went straight through the man's skull. As an effect, the stricken soldier fired a round from his blaster, killing the trooper whose arms had been recently severed. The final soldier fired at will with his blaster, but to no avail. His attacker rushed in without a scratch and thrust his blade into the soldiers gut. Then with a sudden uplift, cut the man wide open from the left groin to the right shoulder spilling his insides. The trooper was killed instantly.

All was once again quiet in the hall. Caractacus and the others peeked around the columns to see none other than Cunla standing before them. The youth wiped the blood from his sword.

"They never even saw it coming." He remarked. He then turned to look at Caractacus and his companions. His eyes were blue and innocent as ever, like that of a saint. He showed no emotion in the dastardly deed he committed. "It was a good thing I got here in the knick of time."

"You killed them all?" Caractacus asked.

"This time…"-

"My God…" Truly uttered, nearly wanting to vomit. She covered her mouth as she beheld the mangled bodies of the soldiers. "How could you do that?"

"If I hadn't," Cunla said as he sheathed his sword, "We all would have died."

"But such carnage…"-

"You came here to rescue your children right?"-

"Yeah…" Caractacus replied.

The group reached the cell where the children were being held. Caractacus looked through the little window in the door and beheld his children.

"Daddy, daddy," the children cried. "You're here."

"Jeremy, Jemima," the inventor wept.

"Quick, we must open the door." The Toymaker said.

"I'll handle this." Cunla replied. "Tell the children to stand aside."

"Clear the way children," Caractacus told his offspring.

The children obediently did as told. Cunla all the while drew forth his father's spear. Twirling about, he formed a lunging stance, the Gae Bulga horizontally held over his head. With a sudden thrust, he struck the door with the spears three prongs. The heavy door burst from its hinges and flew across the cell, hitting the opposite side. Jeremy and Jemima looked on in wonder and apprehension as they saw the wooden door fly across the room.

Just after the smoke cleared, Caractacus and Truly entered the room.

"Children…!" Caractacus shouted.

"Daddy," brother and sister replied as they rushed and threw themselves around their guardians.

"I'm so glad you're safe." Truly added.

"Hurry," the Toymaker said. "We must get down to the main hall and help the others."

"Yes…" Caractacus implied. "We still need to save Grandpa too."

"Yeah…" Jeremy and Jemima added.

"I'll get down there ahead of you and clear a path." Cunla said.

"Right," Caractacus replied.

Without hesitation, Cunla turned and ran down the hall towards where most of the fighting was taking place.

The fight itself was becoming more involved. Because the castle defenses were taken completely off guard, it didn't take long for the army of youths and boys to subdue the guards and secure the guests. Most of the guards, however, were concerned for Baron Bomburst who was still hanging by the seat of his pants from the rafters of the main hall.

"You idiots," he wailed, "Get me down from here!"

"Hurry, get the baron down." The captain of the guards cried. A handful of soldiers reached the rafters of the main hall and severed the rope that suspended the Baron. Bomburst fell upon his men safely. The Baroness was amongst the guards.

"Are you alright, my little shnubby-kins?" she asked.

"We have to get out of here." Bomburst said. "There are too many children."

"You get to safety, sir." The captain ordered. "We will handle these brats."

"I couldn't agree with you more." Quickly jumping to his feet, the Baron and the Baroness ran out of the main hall to the kitchen area with a detachment of loyal guards. Boys came in from all directions, daring to strike and grab at the Baron and his mistress, pummeling some of the guards in the process.

While this was going on, Captain Allgota and the other troops in reserve formed up to send in a second wave into the main hall.

"Things must be going array in there." Young Sorbet said.

"How hard can it be to take care of a bunch of snot-nosed brats?" Allgota declared. "Prepare to send out a second detachment."

A second line of troops were assembled to storm in. But no sooner had they lined up, the main doors burst open. From the main entry way of the grand hall, hundreds of boys surged out like water from a dam. Armed with guns they confiscated from the soldiers, the boys began firing at the line of troops. Soldiers were killed and wounded by the dozens.

"My God," Sorbet uttered, "There are so many of them."

"To hell with it," Allgota growled, "They're just children. Kill as many as you can! These upstart little bastards need a tough lesson in life."

"But to kill children, sir…?"-

"Many of them are no older than you are, Captain. You should have no trouble with eliminating them."-

"Return fire," one of the officers shouted. The troops fired upon the incoming legion of boys, killing and wounding several. But to their dismay, the boys didn't stop. They continued to charge, despite death and chaos erupting around them. Upon the walkways along the castle walls, more boys appeared, rushing the soldiers, throwing them off to the main courtyard below. The troops were stunned at the ferocity and overwhelming number of youths that appeared.

"Where the hell are all these bastards coming from?" Lieutenant Custis wondered. "They must've been planning this for a while now." Sergeant Major Defoe added. "Arrogant little buggers."

"Tell your men to hold the line!" Captain Allgota declared. The soldiers were steadfast as the boys threw themselves on top of their oppressors. Allgota and Sorbet drew out their blades and began to battle against the boys. However, being professional combatants, they managed to maim and slay many of their attackers without much difficulty. Combat was thick within the courtyard. Young boys held their own against the disciplined troops of the Baron. Unlike the soldiers, the youths had a plethora of weapons, including a lot of medieval weapons from the armory. Thus, some of the boys had more maneuverability in their combat. But when it came to fighting against a soldier armed with a loaded rifle, the armed youths realized how limited they were. But since the boys themselves had guns, they had no real concern in weapon superiority. To add, the youths fought like demons. Even as they witnessed their friends and brothers fall around them, none of that seemed to affect them.

"I have to admit." Defoe chuckled. "These bastards have a lot of spirit."

"But it'll take more than that to win against a well armed body of troops." Lieutenant Custis replied.

"I wonder what motivates these kids to fight so hard."-

But no sooner had he said that, there came a sudden roar that progressively grew louder. At first, no one seemed to mind. But as the roaring increased in volume, it also became more recognizable. The roar was actually the sound of thousands of angry voices, which originated from outside the castle walls.

"What in the world is that sound?" Sorbet wondered.

"Sirs," one lone soldier shouted. "It's the villagers! The villagers are storming the castle!"

"What…?"-

It became apparent why the boys were fighting so hard. Most of their concentration was focused on the main gates of the castle. Already, youths were swarming around the gates like ants.

"Stop them!" Captain Allgota shouted. Soldiers drew out their rifles and started shooting at the boys, killing and maiming dozens more. But their efforts were obliterated as they themselves were wiped out by one of the cannons stationed on the wall. Some youths turned the cannon towards the defenses of the soldiers and fired away, sending cannonballs flying into the ranks. All the while, the boys managed to open the main gates.

From the gates, thousands of townspeople armed with pitchforks, hammers, and all kinds of handmade weapons, charged into the main courtyards. The soldiers fired upon them, slaying many, maiming twice the number, but they did not halt the ferocity of their attackers. Like a flood, the angered townspeople rushed in, killing many of the soldiers without mercy.

"This is for our children!" one angry man cried.

"This is for the children you hurt!" an enrage mother bellowed.

"This is for the children you have killed!" another man roared.

Allgota and the others could only watch as the flood of peasants outdid the soldiers and broke through the lines.

"This is intolerable." He grumbled.

At the same time, in the upper levels of the castle, Cunla met stiff resistance from more of the Baron's soldiers. He defeated them with barely any trouble. All the while, Caractacus and the others caught up with him.

"I see you ran into some more soldiers." Caractacus said.

"They were a resilient bunch." Cunla replied.

"We must hurry." The Toymaker said.

"Right…" Caractacus replied. But as they continued down the hall, there appeared another figure waiting to face them. It was a person that Jeremy and Jemima knew all too well.

It was the child catcher.

"Impressive…" the child catcher chuckled, his nose slightly twitching. "To think that a band of rabble would be able to execute such a well orchestrated strategy against the Baron's soldiers," He looked upon Jeremy and Jemima who behind their father. "I also see that you have my two little mice. You know it took a great deal of cunning to lure and catch them. I'd hate to have someone run off with my prize."

"They aren't your children!" Caractacus shouted. "They're my children! And you stole them away from me!"

"Now, now, there is no need to be offensive. I was simply doing as told. You can't hold me responsible."-

"You were directly involved in capturing them."-

"I will not let you run off with what is rightfully mine…"-

"Enough," Cunla said in a calm voice. He stood between the child catcher and the members of his party. "If you want them, you'll have to go through me first."

"The upstart, eh…? So you were the one who killed the Baron's guards."-

"And you'll suffer the same fate if you don't desist."-

"I will not back down to a boy."-

"Fine…" Cunla turned to Caractacus and the others. "Take the children and go. I will handle this."

"But Cunla…" the inventor objected.

"Do as I say. I can't fight to my full potential if I have you to worry about too."-

"I understand…" Caractacus couldn't argue. Guiding his children and friends, he escorted them towards the lower levels. "Let's go." Cunla all the while, placed his hands on the hilt of his sheathed sword.

"Shall we begin…?"-

"You will rue your folly, impudent whelp." The child catcher declared. With net and hook in hand, he charged Cunla. Cunla simply drew out his sword as fast as lightning. He severed the net in two and cut the iron hook from its foundations. He then struck the child catcher in the gut and sent him reeling rearwards. The child catcher hit the ground and skidded down the hall before hitting the wall at the very end. He staggered slightly and propped himself up against the wall.

"That was too easy." Cunla said. "And here you thought you would actually stand a chance against me."

"You little ruffian…" The child catcher slowly rose to his feet. "You will not do me in so easily."

"Then again, it's not me you should worry about." Cunla said as he sheathed his sword. "It's these guys you really have to be concerned about." Cunla stepped aside. Appearing just behind him were fifteen boys no older than he. Each youth was growling, glaring their teeth.

"No…" the child catcher uttered. Cunla turned away.

"I leave you at the mercy of these youths." Cunla withdrew from the scene. All the while, the angry boys, with weapons in hand, rushed the unarmed child catcher. As Cunla descended down the stairs, he could hear the child catcher screaming out in horror as his fate was sealed at the hands of the vengeful youths.

As the chaos reigned in the main hall and the central courtyard of the castle, Baron Bomburst and the Baroness sought refuge in the kitchen. Hiding behind wine barrels, they watched as soldiers ran from masses of angry boys armed with clubs and swords.

"We must get out of here, my darling." The Baroness said.

"Yes, we must." Bomburst added. "But how will we do that? The main entrance is swarming with children." No sooner had the Baron uttered those words, his mistress glanced towards the far end of the kitchen. Before them was one of the garbage chutes that led to the exterior of the castle.

"There, my pumpkin, we can escape through there."-

"But that is the garbage chute." The Baron was reluctant.

"I know that. If we slide down the chute, we'll be able to escape through the main courtyard. We'll disguise ourselves and flee while the peasants are still trying to fight their way in. And when they realize that we are not here, it will already be too late."-

"But…"-

"Come now," The Baroness grabbed the Baron by the hand and pulled him over to the opposite side of the kitchen. She opened the hatch and began shoving her lord down the chute.

"I can't, it is dirty. My clothes will soil." Bomburst cried.

"Go now before it's too late," the Baroness pushed him down. The Baron went sliding on the metal chute towards the exterior of the castle. The Baroness leaped up and threw herself down the chute as well. Within seconds, they reached the end of the chute. But to their dismay, there exit was blocked by the child catcher's prison wagon, whose door was open to accept the corrupt aristocrats. The children had confiscated the wagon and placed it in front of the chute. They figured the Baron would try to exit via the garbage chute. So, they set up the wagon in case Bomburst used the option to slide down with the trash. Sure enough, both Baron and his mistress were trapped in the wagon. The children screamed and cheered. One little boy caught hold of Bomburst's crown and put it atop his own head.

"My crown," the pompous Baron cried.

"Awe, that's alright, my little shnubby-kins." The Baroness said, holding her saddened husband, though both were covered with garbage and were mocked by dozens of kids.

"We caught the baron," the children shouted with glee, "We caught the baron!"

Meanwhile, Colonel Von Kreist emerged from his quarters. He came down the cell block, where his men supposedly passed through. It was in the hall that he saw the bodies of five of his soldiers, mangled and covered with their blood, which was still warm. He gazed at the bodies through stunned eyes. He too seemed lifeless, looking at the butchered carcasses of men he had only spoke to no more than an hour before.

"So you have met your fate, my men." The colonel uttered. He then turned his attention towards the cell where the two little children were held. "Did the inventor do this?" Von Kreist examined the bodies again. "No, this style is all too familiar. Could it be…?"

Just then, there came the beeping sound from the colonel's intercom. He pulled the transmission device out and answered the call. It was a message from young Captain Dalius Sorbet.

"What is it?" Von Kreist asked.

"Sir," Sorbet began, "The courtyard has been overrun by peasants and children. They've completely subdued the bulk of the Baron's guards."-

"Impossible…"-

"I also wish to inform you that Bomburst and his mistress have been captured by the commoners."-

"Inconceivable."-

"What will we do now, sir?" Sorbet asked.

"We have no choice." Von Kreist said. "Even we faction soldiers aren't enough to fight against the whole of the town. And to have that Alliance assassin on their side…" Von Kreist pounded his fist against the wall. "Gather our men. We're withdrawing from this world."

"Withdrawing, sir…?"-

"We have no other choice."-

"I understand, sir."-

"I'll have the transporter pick us up at the top tower." Von Kreist said. "I want you and our remaining faction troops to withdraw. Be here at the top tier in ten minutes. If you arrive late, we leave without you."-

"Understood, sir…" The transmission ended. Von Kreist then contacted the main ship.

"Have an emergency cruiser come here to pick us up." The colonel said. "Sector SV7581876. Have the craft land at the platform constructed at the highest tower of the Baron's castle."-

"What's going on, sir?" the informant on the other side of the line asked.

"The peasants have revolted. We are withdrawing from this world for the time being."-

"Withdrawing…?"-

"We have no other choice. Even we can't face off against so many numbers."-

"Understood, sir…" the operative replied, "We should arrive in five minutes." He immediately ended transmission. Von Kreist all the while gripped the transmission device tightly in his hand.

"How could this have happened?" he thought to himself. "How could we lose to an army of rabble?" Von Kreist dwelled on the situation. "It's that newcomer. He started all of this."

All the while, Sorbet ran to inform the rest of the faction soldiers.

"What's going on?" Captain Allgota asked.

"The cause is lost here." Sorbet said. "Colonel Von Kreist has ordered an immediate withdrawal of all faction soldiers from this world."

"Are you sure about that?"-

"Yes, sir, he expects us to get to the high tower of the castle in five minutes! The emergency cruiser will pick us up there. If we don't arrive within ten minutes, they take off without us."-

"Damn, and after all the time and effort we wasted here." Captain Allgota raised his sword over his head. "All faction soldiers withdraw, head for the top tower!"

"What was that?" Sergeant Defoe uttered.

"We're retreating?" Lieutenant Custis added.

"We have no chance at this rate!" Allgota replied. "This was an order from the colonel."

"Damn…" Defoe growled, "And to think that we came all this way for nothing."

"That's not open for discussion! Move your butts! We have to rendezvous at the highest tower in ten minutes! Otherwise we get left behind and to the mercy of the mob!"-

"We have no choice!" Lieutenant Custis cried. Answering no further questions, the faction soldiers withdrew.

By this time, Caractacus Potts and his family were already in the main hall. Cunla was also present, fighting against the remaining soldiers. Captain Allgota and his fellow officers rushed through the main hall, heading for the stairs escalating to the higher levels of the castle. They watched as soldiers around them were being subdued, wounded or killed. The mob itself grew in number as the villagers stormed in to aid their fighting sons.

"Stop those four!" one villager shouted. A dozen grown men attempted to halt the four retreating faction soldiers in their tracks.

"Hurry up!" Allgota shouted. "We have no time to waste fighting these people!"

Having no other option, but to retreat, the four allowed their backs to be exposed to any possible attack. The peasant attacks were relentless. Boys and men threw themselves before the path of the retreating faction officers, preventing them from reaching their destination.

"We got them now!" one boy shouted.

"Stubborn bastards…!" Allgota growled. Finding no way of negotiating the situation, the senior captain grabbed a child. By some coincidence, the random youngster he snatched up was none other than Caractacus' young daughter Jemima.

"Jemima…!" Caractacus shouted.

"Daddy…!" Jemima cried. Allgota drew up his blade and held it to the girl's throat. The minute he drew up his sword, the villagers suddenly halted their attacks. Sorbet and the others were equally shocked.

"Allgota," Sorbet uttered. "What are you…?"

"If you dare to assault us again," Allgota declared, "You'll give me no choice, but to take this girl's life!"

"You coward…!" the toymaker shouted. "You dare threaten a child's life?!"

"You have no right to place moral judgment on me, you who so willingly sent many of your children off to their deaths!"-

"You dare call yourself a man?!" Truly mocked.

"Why should I…? I'm only sixteen…" Allgota's declaration was a shock to many of the villagers. To think that one so young would have the capacity to kill without pause and without remorse. "You didn't think there were others like me did you?"

"He's just like Cunla…" Caractacus thought to himself. "He can kill without a second thought."

"Now, you will let us pass," Allgota declared, "Or I swear to God, I will kill this girl!"

"Please," Caractacus cried, "Don't hurt my daughter!"

"You should blame this rabble, Mr. Potts. They're the ones who forced me to do so!" Allgota turned to the other officers. "Keep moving to the highest tower!"

"Understood…" Sorbet said. The faction soldiers continued up the stairs. All the while, Allgota backed away from the mob who were still apprehensive on whether to attack or not. "If anyone dares to follow us, make no mistake I will kill this girl!" Heaving Jemima in his arms, he ran off in pursuit of his peers.

"Daddy, daddy," Jemima cried, kicking and screaming to free herself, "Save me!"

"Jemima…!" Caractacus bellowed. He rushed up the stairs. But before he could make further progress, the toymaker took hold of him by the back of his jacket.

"You mustn't…!" he beseeched the inventor.

"He has my daughter…!"-

"If he sees you following, he will kill her!"-

"That is my little girl! I will not leave her in the hands of those mercenaries!" He looked at the toymaker. "Please…" The toymaker knew it was not his place to judge. Letting go of his own morals, he released Caractacus. "I'll go alone. Maybe I can negotiate. So don't follow me."

"But Caractacus," Truly uttered, "You might be killed!"

"Stay here and watch over Jeremy, Truly."-

"Daddy," Jeremy sobbed.

"I'll be back son, I promise." Giving one final smile, Mr. Potts ran up the stairs in pursuit of his daughter, leaving his worried friends and family behind.

All the while, Cunla had heard the commotion and went to investigate. Amidst the remnants of the fighting, he watched as the villagers stationed themselves idly on the staircase. He spotted Truly and the toymaker and ran to them.

"I heard a commotion," he said, "What's going on?"

"Those men took Jemima hostage." Truly replied.

"Mr. Potts' daughter…?"-

"They threatened to kill her if anyone followed."-

"They did?" Cunla made a slight sneer.

"Caractacus went after them. He figured he might be able to negotiate."-

"Damn it," Cunla thought to himself. "He doesn't stand a chance against faction officers." Without a second thought, Cunla leaped up to the stair case and ran off in pursuit of Caractacus.

"Cunla," Truly cried, "Come back!" But the youth made no reply and continued his pursuit.

In the meantime, Allgota caught up with the others, reaching the upper level. Jemima was crying and screaming, still trying to free herself.

"We're almost there, captain!" Sorbet declared.

"Excellent…" Allgota replied. He suddenly stopped and put Jemima down. Sorbet and the others watched this act unfold before them.

"What are you doing, Captain Allgota?" Lieutenant Custis asked.

"We've reached our destination. There's no need to keep this girl's life in jeopardy any longer." Allgota looked into Jemima's scared and tearful eyes. "No hard feelings…" Allgota turned to his men. "Let's go!" Asking no questions, the other three followed him to the landing platform.

Not too long after, Caractacus came running down the hall. He peered down the hall to see his little girl standing there, still scared.

"Jemima…?" Caractacus uttered.

"Daddy," Jemima cried. Father and daughter ran towards each other and tightly embraced one another. Caractacus was so happy that his daughter was safe.

"I'm so please you're not hurt!"-

"Daddy…" Caractacus looked at Jemima.

"What happened…? Why are you here?"-

"They just let me go, Daddy."-

"Is that so…" Caractacus' smile turned sour. He glanced down the end of the hall. "Jemima, I want you to stay here." His daughter was confused.

"Why Daddy…?"-

"I'm going after them."-

"No don't," Jemima held on to her father's arm. "You don't have to go after them!"

"I will not just let that bastard get away with treating you the way he did."-

"But Daddy,"-

"You stay here, Jemima, I'll be back." Jemima, not wanting to anger her father, did as she was told. Caractacus continued on his way.

It wasn't long before Cunla reached the same spot and found Jemima standing in the hall.

"Jemima," he shouted. He ran up to her. "What happened, where's your father?"

"He went to fight…" Jemima replied.

"Damn it…" Cunla thought to himself. He looked at Jemima. "You stay here and keep out of sight in case there are anymore bad guys. I'm going after your dad."

"But Cunla…"-

"I have to. He doesn't stand a fighting chance against faction officers." Cunla dashed off without another word, leaving the little girl to fend for herself for a time.

By this time, the cruiser had made a landing on the highest tower. Colonel Von Kreist was waiting, with his remaining soldiers, for his four subordinates to arrive. He checked his watch diligently. It wasn't long before he saw four figures in the distance, running along the path atop the walls. The colonel smiled and gave a sigh.

"Well, it's good to see that all four of my officers made it out alive." He thought to himself. Captain Allgota and the others spotted the cruiser ready for departure.

"We made it!" Sergeant Defoe chuckled. But no sooner had he said that, there rang a shot from behind, which ricocheted from off the pathway. The four looked behind them. It was none other than Caractacus Potts. He was armed with a revolved and was shooting at them.

"It's the inventor," Custis said. "He followed us."

"You must've really pissed him off from that stunt you did with his daughter."-

"Such is the rage of a father." Allgota sighed.

"I'll take care of him." Sorbet declared, suddenly halting and turning to face Potts.

"Sorbet…!"-

"Don't worry, he'll be easy. You go on ahead. I'll catch up."-

"You just want to show off, don't you?" Defoe grumbled.

"Let him do what he has to." Allgota said. "Let's keep going!" The remaining three continued their retreat.

"Stop right there!" Caractacus shouted.

"You'll have to get past me first." Sorbet declared. "I won't let you harass the captain or my comrades." Sorbet pulled out two shuriken from the interior of his shell jacket. Without pause, he threw the two sharpened blades at his attacker. Caractacus saw the two blades coming at him. He evaded the first, but didn't move in time to avoid the second blade and was struck in the left shoulder. He got off a stray shot which ricocheted harmlessly off the stone. He fell backwards onto the pathway. With pistol still in his good hand, Potts grabbed at his wound, holding onto the hilt of the knife that struck him. He cringed at Sorbet.

"You…"-

"Even with a gun, you stand no chance against me. Stop what you're doing and you won't get hurt anymore."-

"After what you did to my daughter…?" Caractacus growled.

"You gave us no choice." Sorbet replied.

"It doesn't matter! Your explanation doesn't change the fact that it was my little girl you took hostage!"-

"So you're willing to die for her honor, very well." Sorbet drew out his sword. "Then I will kill you."

But before he could advance, Cunla arrived on time to help the inventor. He quickly dashed out and knelt at the side of Mr. Potts.

"Mr. Potts, are you okay?" he asked.

The minute Cunla made his appearance, Sorbet's aggression shifted from Caractacus to Cunla.

"It's the Alliance informant," Sorbet thought to himself. "He's the one that started all of this no doubt. I better kill him before he gets a chance to ruin some other operation." Sorbet suddenly rushed in shouting, "Prepare to die Alliance scum!"

Time seemed to slow its pace as the youthful Imperial charged his victims. But as Cunla looked up into the face of his attacker, his heart began to pound. His eyes widened and this unexplainable apprehension stayed his hand from drawing out his sword or lifting his spear to defend himself. He could only concentrate on the eyes of his attacker, a deep green color that sparkled like emeralds. This familiarity with his attacker's face caused Cunla to go limp, dropping his guard. With a softened tone, he spoke.

"Sorbet…?" he uttered.

The same emotion ran through young Captain Dalius Sorbet, who underwent a similar phase. As Cunla raised his head, Sorbet was immediately taken in by the boy's blue eyes. That subtle look on Cunla's fair face stopped Sorbet in his tracks. The coo of his name by the Hound's son caused Sorbet's heart to beat. The two stood no more than ten feet away, both staring wide-eyed at each other. So mesmerizing was stare, Sorbet lowered his sword to half its original height.

"It's you…" Sorbet said. "Kid…" A moment of tranquility took hold. All parties watched this event unfold. Potts and Von Kreist were the main witnesses, watching from where they were, seeing this undeclared truce. However, the silence was broken as Potts drew up his pistol.

"Cunla, look out!" he shouted. He began firing at Sorbet. One bullet struck Sorbet's shoulder, but ricocheted off the protective brass shoulder armor he wore. The impact of the bullet jerked Sorbet back, knocking him out of his trance. A second shot rang out, followed by a third and a fourth. Sorbet came to his senses in time to dodge the last two shots.

By this time, his three comrades made it to the cruiser. Allgota turned and called his comrade to join them.

"Sorbet, hurry!" he shouted.

"Get over here now, Captain!" Sergeant Defoe added. For some strange reason, Colonel Von Kreist, though the senior officer, and witness to the interaction between Cunla and Sorbet, did not utter a word. Sorbet quickly withdrew to join his other comrades, leaving Cunla and Caractacus Potts behind to watch the faction's inevitable departure. Sorbet reached the cruiser and boarded.

"We've got the last." Von Kreist said. "Take off!"

"Yes sir," the pilot complied. With thundering rockets, the cruiser levitated it self and flew off in the distance, leaving Cunla and Mr. Potts watching their departure. Cunla's heart sunk.

"It was him." The boy thought to himself. "Sorbet…Captain Dalius Sorbet…"

There was no doubt that the same thought ran through the mind of Sorbet as well. He could only stare at his own feet. His hands were nervously clenched together. Sorbet was quiet now. All eyes were on him.

"What happened out there?" Sergeant Defoe asked. "You seemed to be out of character."

"You didn't kill the informant." Lieutenant Custis added. "Why didn't you?" There was a silence as the troop was waiting for an explanation.

"Keep as civil tongue, you guys." Allgota ordered. "Captain Sorbet might have had his reasons.'

"But that informant is still alive."-

"That's enough," Colonel Von Kreist ordered as well. "There will be no further questioning on this from here on out. What's passed is passed." The officers remained silent. Though he was as quiet as could be, Sorbet's mind flooded with a bombardment of questions and regrets. But what plagued him most was the identity of his enemy.

"I always wondered." Sorbet thought to himself. "Now I know. But who would have thought you would be my enemy, you who were so loyal, who questioned no one and answered no one. I've always wondered what your name was. But now that I've heard it, I feel somewhat betrayed. You are the same who betrayed us all." Flashes of the past entered Sorbet's mind, good times with a close and dear friend he knew. With it came the reverberating echo of that friend's name, which after several years has finally been revealed to him. "Cunla…"


	3. Critical Decisions

Critical Decisions

Critical Decisions

After the departure of the Midnight Faction, things started to die down at the Baron's castle. Now that the Baron's troops were subdued, and the pompous despots captured, the villagers and their children were able to breathe in the smell of freedom for the first time in five years. However, it was also a conclusion with bitter sweetness. With happy reunions between parents and their children, there were tragic partings as well. Some unfortunate mothers and fathers fell wailing over the still bodies of their dead sons, while some little boys and girls cried over their fallen parents. With this tragedy came the uproar of enraged cries for vengeance. The villagers blamed the baron, his aristocrats, and his guards for that. They bellowed and booed Bomburst, cursing him, spitting upon him, and throwing refuse at him, leaving the still imprisoned Bomburst to sulk and cry in his mistress' arms. All the while, soldiers, the aristocracy, and other guests from the baron's birthday that were still alive, were treated equally bad, being beaten by parents whose sons were killed and vice versa. Amongst the survivors was the child catcher, who was beaten and bloodied after being assaulted by angry youths.

This chaos, however, was all too familiar for Cunla since he was a battle hardened was veteran. He knew with victory there was also a price. For the townspeople of the Vulgarian capital, freedom was obtained in the blood of their children and their parents. Now that Bomburst was overthrown, the resolve for his cruelties was accumulating. Cunla saw the extent of anti-sentiment towards the baron and his mistress as he was busy dressing the wound Mr. Caractacus Potts received from Sorbet's blade. He and the rest of his family, including his liberated father, Grandpa Potts, looked on at the chaos.

"Kill the baron!" one angered villager said.

"Death to the baron!" cried another.

"Hang him!" bellowed one woman as she held the body of her twelve year old son tightly in her arms. More obscenities roared out.

"Shoot him!"-

"Beat him!"-

"Kill the baron and his mistress!"-

"Kill him and all his soldiers!"-

"They're all to blame!"-

Aggressions grew, and the baron's life and the lives of those loyal to him were threatened. Some of the soldiers and aristocrats tried to weigh all the blame on the baron. Others blamed each other. Some, however, knew of the wrongs they committed and only weighed their heads down in shame. Then there were those who just wanted the ridicule to end and thought dangerous ideas of death and killing.

"Please don't kill me!" one advisor beseeched, throwing his head down and crying.

"I was only doing as I was told!" a soldier pleaded.

"Leave us alone!" another cried.

"Damn all you peasants!" an angered soldier roared. The scene became increasingly uncomfortable for the Potts family.

"Do you think we ought to do something, father?" Jeremy asked.

"There's not much we really can do." Caractacus replied.

"Well, the man deserves what he gets." Truly said with a cringe. "He and his mistress had the audacity to be cruel and insensitive to children."

"Then again, it's not really our place to pass judgment." Grandpa Potts said.

"I know he deserves what he gets." Jemima remarked. "But I can't help, but feel a little sorry for him."

"That's because he realizes how powerless he actually is." Cunla replied. "Without his high walls, his military, and his status, he's been reduced to a sniveling wretch. All of a sudden, his intimidating image doesn't seem so big anymore."

"That still doesn't change the fact that he still has to pay for what he did." Caractacus said.

"Yes, but the question is who should justice really fall upon."-

"What do you mean?"-

"There is no doubt that Bomburst is the figure head, but is all the blame really his."-

"He was the one who passed all the decrees." Truly stated. "Bomburst allowed past events to happen the way they did. Thus, he is guilty as charged."

"But he doesn't seem a very intelligent man. I would like to know how he gained power in the first place."-

"That's a mystery to me." Caractacus said.

"Still," Cunla explained, "Whether he is guilty or not, I will not permit the mob to cause anarchy and simply execute him without proper procedure." As the enraged villagers bellowed away at their captives, Cunla walked over to one of the cannons. He took hold of the ignition rope located at the top of the breech. With one swift jerk, he ignited the powder from within. The cannon bellowed a mighty boom, and the echoing thud caused the villagers to halt in their clamor. Curious, they looked up towards Cunla who stood stolid next to the artillery piece.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he declared, "I can see that you all demand justice for what has happened against you and your children due to the policies passed by the baron!"

"That's right!" the villagers shouted simultaneously in an uproar.

"I see in your eyes the anger and the hatred towards the baron. I see that you want full compensation for his actions."-

"Yeah," the villagers cried again.

"Well, whatever justice you want brought upon him, it will not be in the form of an unruly mob." The crowd grew silent. "You cannot take judgment into your own hands and lynch him like a commoner!"

"Why not?" one of the villagers asked.

"That would only give the baron an easy way out! In order for him, his mistress, and his loyalists to repent, they must be allowed to live."-

"What…?" said one villager, shocked at the message.

"No," another objected.

"Justice must be brought on him now!" cried another.

"That's right!" shouted another villager. "He has to pay for what he's done!"

"That's true," Cunla walked towards the crowd. "But take a look at him." The villagers turned to stare at the baron and the baroness who were huddling close to one another. "Take a good long look."

The villagers looked on at the tyrant and his mistress. At first they didn't get it, but as they peered into the eyes of the monarchs, they realized that the two royals were scared. They were liked caged animals, frightened and cornered. A few began to understand what Cunla meant.

"What have we done?" The toymaker said. His fellows looked at him. "What have we become? We were seeking for justice all this time. Yet now we are acting as if we were the oppressors."

"Why do you say that?" one of the villagers asked.

"Look at us. We are making a mockery of the baron."-

"So what?" another villager scoffed. "This monster deserves to be treated like an animal. Let him feel the way that countless children felt when he and the aristocracy had them caged like wild beasts."

"But are we so better if we lower ourselves to his level?" There came a murmur from the crowd.

"If he could stoop so low, then we can as well." One enraged mother cried.

"Then we will be no better than him." The toymaker explained. "I have more pride than that. I will not become what I hated the most." The tone of the toymaker caused a sudden change in heart. The villagers fought so hard against the baron. Yet now that power was once again theirs, for a brief time they abused the new authority given to them.

"I won't be like the baron." One old woman said.

"Neither will I…" Another villager added.

"Me too…" said another. There came another clamor amongst the villagers.

"Alright, alright," one concerned townsman said, "So we won't lower ourselves to the baron's level. But that still leaves us with one question. What are we going to do with him?"

"You want to exact justice, right?" Cunla implied. "But you don't want to regress to using forms of punishment that the baron would use, am I correct?"

"Yes,"-

"Then, here's an idea. Why not put him and his mistress in your shoes?"-

"What do you mean?"-

"In order for him to truly understand what it means to be a humble and penitent, let him live his life as one of you from this point on."-

"One of us…?"-

"That's right, that way he'll know what it feels like having to work for a living and what it means to part of a society."-

"That is a good idea," Caractacus said, intervening with the discussion. "What better way for him to pay for what he's done."

"No, no," the baron objected from the cage. "I don't want to live like a commoner! I would rather die!"

"It's settled then," the toymaker said. He looked at the baron. "It looks like you'll be spending the rest of your life as one of us."

"But don't expect us be neighborly." Another villager said. There was a chuckle and a cheer from the villagers, mocking the baron, giving him a glimpse of his impending fate. No longer would he enjoy the life of a royal. From that day forward, the baron and the baroness would be forced to live the life of common townspeople for the rest of their lives. And it would be a terrible coexistence indeed. So long as his reputation as the child hater existed, he would never truly be accepted by the people.

Caractacus rejoined his family, holding them close. He smiled at his accomplishments. He saved his father and his children from the clutches of a tyrannical baron; he helped to liberate a people from oppression, witnessed the fall of a despot, and participated in the passing of that despot's fate. It was a good day's work. He nestled against his children as Miss Scrumptious.

"You've done a fine job, Caractacus." Truly said. "You have given these people back their livelihood and peace of mind."

"Do you really think so?" Caractacus asked.

"You did a fine job, my boy." Grandpa Potts chuckled.

"You're the best daddy there ever was." Jeremy said.

"Yes," Jemima agreed.

Just then, from out of the castle, the flying motorcar appeared, wheeling its way into the main courtyard where the crowd congregated. The people were astounded to see this old model car moving by it self. The car honked so joyfully.

"Look, daddy," Jeremy cried. "It's Chitty!" The car halted amidst the crowd and honked happily, seeing its creator and his family.

"Good old Chitty-chitty Bang-bang." Caractacus said.

"We missed you." Jemima added, hugging the car. The car honked again, as if to say "I missed you too."

"What do you say that we go home?" Caractacus asked.

"Yeah," his children cheered.

"Then let's get going." One by one, the Potts family boarded the car. Caractacus took his seat at the wheel.

"Heir Potts," the toymaker said, reaching the side of the car. He shook hands with the inventor. "Thank you for all that you've done. You have given us back our hope, our children, and our lives."

"It should be me to thank you, my friend." Caractacus replied. "I should also thank that young man, Cunla." Caractacus looked about in the crowd, but realized something. Cunla was nowhere in sight. The inventor was puzzled. "Where is Cunla anyway?"

Suddenly, there came a roar from outside of the castle walls. The villagers heard the rumbling and were startled with the loud bellowing. Wondering where the sound was coming from, the Potts family and the villagers looked about wildly, curious where the roar originated. Just then, a boy in the crowd looked up.

"Over there!" he shouted. The crowd turned their eyes to the castle walls. Appearing over the wall, Cunla's gummi ship appeared. The roar was coming from the rocket engines.

"Is that him?" the toymaker wondered.

All the while, Cunla looked down upon the congregation of people who looked upon his craft with curiosity.

"My work here is done." He said to himself. "It's up to them now." Giving a wave, he elevated higher and higher into the sky. With a sudden thrust and a loud boom, the gummi ship disappeared out of sight.

The crowd was left spellbound as what they just witnessed. But Caractacus knew. He smiled silently to himself.

"Thanks, Cunla," he said to himself. "Good luck wherever you may venture."

While victory left Cunla and his allies in good spirit, the same did not go with the surviving factional soldiers. Colonel Von Kreist and surviving members of his party returned to a large carrier located outside of the Vulgarian world. Not a word had been spoken since the Imperials left, and not a word was spoken even as they disembarked onto the decks of the cruiser. To make matters worse, the team was confronted by their superior officer.

Brigadier General Crixus Archadius was a pompous and highly despised officer. He came from noble lineage and quickly elevated himself through the ranks. Though young and attractive, with a head of golden locks, his physical characteristics were completely opposite his true nature, vile and arrogant, as what would be expected from an aristocratic upstart. His ego was displayed by the elaborate Imperial frocks that he wore. Unlike most Imperial uniforms made from simple wool or cotton, his were hand-crafted out of velvet, from the main black body of the frock to the red lining. The buttons and shoulder straps were a brilliant brass color. His belt and chest straps consisted of leather bleached to a pure white. Upon his head, he wore a cavalier of black velvet. It too had a brass emblem of the Midnight Faction's symbol mounted at its front. And on the side of the brim bearing the bend, a great plethora of plumes completed the entourage of the hat. This combination made the general look very important. To Archadius, a first impression was everything. Unfortunately for him, his impression on his subordinates was anything, but awe.

"Glad to see that some of you made it back." He said in that prep tone of his.

"Good to be back, sir." Colonel Von Kreist replied, saluting as respectfully as he could. The other subordinates did the same.

"Too bad things didn't go as planned down there."-

"Yes, sir,"-

"But then again, you might have had more success had there been more competent subordinates to help you." This awkward position of the general was the reason why everyone hated him. The returning crew hadn't been on the ship for more than ten minutes and already they were being judged. "I had requested that you take officers who were older and with more experience."

"That was a kind offer, sir, but I have worked with these youths for a long time. They have had explicit training in combat and strategy, and work well as a team. Also, I am comfortable working with them. I know how they operate and they know how I run my outfit. It is a much more reliable combination than if I were to be assigned officers I'm not familiar with, despite their expertise."-

"And that is precisely why you should have worked with more experienced officers. You are too close to these four subordinates of yours. You are too comfortable with the way they operate. And it is because of that, you were soundly defeated by a mob of peasants."-

"Why you…" young Dalius Sorbet growled, but the colonel kept the captain at bay.

"It was not due to any slackness whatsoever, sir." Von Kreist assured the general. "There were elements, not in our control, that suddenly arose."-

"Such as…?" General Archadius asked.

"An Alliance agent, dressed as an Imperial soldier, infiltrated our defenses and began to create a rift between Baron Bomburst and ourselves."-

"An agent you say?"-

"That's correct, sir."-

"You have supposedly the best subordinates around and yet you couldn't dispense with one meddlesome Alliance agent?"-

"He was quite skilled actually, far better than what we might have expected."-

"Did you fight him directly?" The general asked.

"No, sir…" Von Kreist replied.

"Then how do you know he was as skilled as you say he was?"-

"He eliminated the shinobis under my command. And those shinobis were veterans of some of the fiercest battles ever waged."-

"I see," General Archadius put his arms behind him. "So were you able to dispatch with this agent." Von Kreist and his subordinates knew what happened, but dared not point the finger at anyone.

"Negative, sir…"-

"Really…?" The general turned around, his back facing the returning party. "You do realize that this world is no real threat to us."

"Yes, sir, I do."-

"And you, colonel, you and your subordinates came highly recommended by His Excellency Lord Sirius Viicous. You yourself were a veteran at the Battle of Vandor, a personal staff officer of His Late Excellency Lord Drako Arakis. And yet you couldn't even hold your own against a mob of unruly commoners?"-

"With all due respect, sir, I have explained that there were reasons."-

"Perhaps you misunderstood? Perhaps I didn't make myself clear. Well, colonel, this must be made very clear to you and yours. I have a reputation to uphold. I have swelled in the ranks and have been given a very honorable position as Brigadier General. And I will not become the laughing stock of the Imperial Axis because of your incompetence!"-

"Sir,"-

"I trust that you won't make the same mistakes again."-

"I understand."-

"The colonel is not to blame for this!" Captain Dalius Sorbet declared. "There were rising circumstances that we couldn't control! Isn't that enough?"

"Stand down Captain Sorbet." Colonel Von Kreist ordered.

"We tried our best, but fate was not in favor of us today."-

"Who is this person who acts as if I needed his insight?" the general scoffed.

"Forgive him, sir, the captain forgets that he is addressing a superior officer." Von Kreist said.

"You think just because we're soldiers of the Imperial Axis that we can handle any situation, no matter how great the odds? That is a biased attitude, sir!"-

"Watch your mouth, captain." General Archadius said, suddenly turning with an irritated sneer. "You forget who you're speaking to."

"You can't expect us to act brash and reckless, knowing the nature of politics that would ensue should we have been victorious. We're supposed to be on good terms with the people, not drive them further away. And even our skills are no match against superior numbers and a determined enemy. We had enough trouble holding our own out there. It's easy for you to talk though, watching what was going on from a nice, safe distance."-

"Hold your tongue, captain!"-

"That's enough, Captain Sorbet." Von Kreist said. "You've made it clear where you stand. You and the others report to your barracks." Dalius grew silent, seeing the stern look on the face of his commander. He saluted and withdrew. The others did the same as well before withdrawing. Von Kreist looked to the general, who was somewhat perturbed from the comments given by the captain. "You must forgive Captain Sorbet. He is too spirited in his passions."

"That little upstart needs to be taught a lesson." General Archadius growled. "He has the audacity to show such insolence to me, his superior officer? Is this the kind of Imperial regime we want arise, where bastards like him shout at their superiors as if they were equals."-

"He's had a rough time after this campaign, sir. He's just tired, that's all."-

"That is no excuse to show such disrespect to me. I will not tolerate outburst of that nature from your subordinates again, understood?"-

"I understand, sir."-

"Unless you shape up and discipline your subordinates properly, we can never hope to succeed in anything that we have been assigned to do."-

"I will see to it, sir."-

"Of all those who have gotten under my skin, your captain is the one I hate the most." With those final words, Archadius stormed off. Von Kreist made his own salute before withdrawing.

Dalius and the others made their way back to their barracks. They chatted on the recent incident with both feelings of concern and humor. It was the first time that they ever experienced such a moment where a lower ranking subordinate would actually have enough guts to talk down to their superior officer.

"I gotta tell you, captain," Sergeant Defoe chuckled. "You certainly got a lot of balls."

"To actually mouth off at General Archadius that way," Lieutenant Custis added, "Boy that was awesome. I never would have had the nerve to do that."

"I just didn't like the way he was shooting us down." Captain Sorbet said. "He talks as if he was the one doing all the work. But remember, he's just an aristocratic blueblood who was promoted to the ranks simply because of his connections and his family reputation. He's never actually been in combat. He's always looking at the fight from some safe distance and monitoring it as if it were some kind of chess game. He has no idea what it means to bleed and sweat and see the danger around him."

"Well, you definitely pricked him up." The Lieutenant and the Sergeant had a good laugh, but it was short lived as Captain Allgota intervened.

"This is no laughing matter, gentlemen." He said. "Even if Captain Sorbet was right, it is still a serious offense to speak to a superior officer in such an aggressive tone, and to Brigadier General Crixus Archadius of all people."

"Calm down, sir." Sergeant Defoe said. "I'm sure that the general…"

"The general is not going to take it lightly. He hates it when subordinates express their emotions to him. For all we know, today's little outburst may have some rippling effects. You could be court-marshaled."-

"I don't believe there is much threat in that, gentlemen." A voice stated from behind. The four subordinates turned to see Colonel Valjean Von Kreist approaching them.

"Colonel," the Lieutenant said.

"Did everything go alright?" Sergeant Defoe asked.

"Better than expected." Colonel Von Kreist replied. He looked at Captain Sorbet. "You were lucky this time around, captain. I was able to deter the general, promising that you would shape up from this day forward. So you were able to get away with a warning."

"That's good to know." Captain Allgota said. "You survived this round with Archadius."

"Yeah…" Sorbet uttered.

"Well, it's been a long day for all of us." The colonel interceded. "I believe you've all earned a good night's rest."

"Yes sir." The subordinates replied.

"But if it's not too much trouble, I would like to speak with Captain Sorbet in my quarters."-

"Yes, sir…" Sorbet replied. As the three other subordinates reported to their quarters, Sorbet was obliged to accompany his superior officer. They entered the colonel's quarters. Von Kreist sat down behind his desk and activated his computer.

"Something must've really been troubling you, captain." He began. "In the whole of my military career, I have never once heard a subordinate speak so brash and disrespectfully to a superior officer."

"I can explain, sir." Sorbet said.

"There is no need for you to explain. I have been yearning for someone to put that facetious prick in his place. I just never thought it would be you, one who so ardently obeys his superiors no matter what."-

"Well, I…" Sorbet felt somewhat proud, but that quickly changed with a sudden shift in the attitude of the colonel.

"However, as despicable, sarcastic, and insufferable as Brigadier General Archadius is, he is still your superior officer. Sure he had that little outburst coming for a long time, but he is still the leader of our outfit. No matter if he's right or wrong, you must not address him in such a manner again. We all know of his connections. And who knows what may happen. He'll have you court-marshaled within the week if given the chance. But it's a good thing I was able to dissuade him from making such a decision."-

"I'm sorry, sir. I wasn't really thinking. I was just trying to support you and the others, trying to credit you for your efforts."-

"Well, we all appreciate your attempt. That much is for sure." Von Kreist chuckled. "Even I wanted to be brash to his face, but I hadn't the nerve. That's what I like about you, captain. You are always direct and freely express your opinions. No wonder your reputation at the academy was a controversial one. You became defiant only when you found it necessary. But despite that, you will conduct yourself more efficiently in the future."

"I understand, sir." Sorbet complied.

"But now to the real matter at hand." Von Kreist continued.

"Real matter at hand…?"-

"It's regarding the incident with the Alliance agent on the high walk at the baron's castle, just before our departure. It seemed that you paused for a moment, as if taking the time to identify the informant. It's out of character for you to just suddenly stop in the middle of a fight." Sorbet's heart sunk. His fist tightened. The colonel was curious of his reaction. "Is there something that you would like to tell me?"

"The reason why I stopped my attack was because…" Sorbet paused for a moment, trying to think of what words to say.

"The reason is because…?"-

"That informant was the traitor, Cunla." Sorbet said. Colonel Von Kreist was stunned.

"It was Cunla?" he asked. "Are you sure?"

"Yes…"-

"How do you know it was him?"-

"His characteristics fit the description given by the Imperial data base, a young man, no older than fifteen, skilled in hand to hand combat, and a well trained assassin. Cunla was the best assassin under Lord Sirius Viicous. He was in fact hand-picked by His Excellency himself. I saw it back at the academy. The reason being is because he was the best of the best. Cunla always got the highest scores than anyone every time. His keen sense of judgment was flawless. He was always accurate in taking down enemies, no matter how strong. He was the youngest of all the students in the academy, yet he was the fastest, swiftest, the most determined, and the most intelligent of us all"-

"I see. And is that why you paused, because of knowing his notorious reputation?" Von Kreist asked.

"No, that's not the case."-

"What is?" Sorbet's feelings got the best of him. He had to express his opinions. He found it a necessity to do so.

"Cunla is also my best friend."-

"Your best friend…?"-

"Or so I thought he was. Before then, we just used to call him 'Kid' back at the academy. He never told us what his name was. So everyone just called him 'Kid,' even the officers. He and I bunked together. We were always teamed up as a pair and gained a notorious reputation as the 'Invincible Duo.' I guess you might say that he was the one who pushed my motivation. I tried all in my power to be just as good as him, or to be even better. I was the only one who stayed up to his standards of perfection. He was a good guy to be around provided that you didn't push him the wrong way. But I never would have thought he would turn against us and become a traitor. I thought him incapable of doing so. He was always so obedient, taking in the orders of his superiors as the absolute law of the land. I don't understand why he would suddenly defect."-

"Did he have a motivation, this friend of yours?" Von Kreist asked.

"He always used to say that his one goal was to find a certain family member, then and only then would he change his ways. After what's gone on for a while, I can only hypothesize that he found this family member of his."-

"But don't you know, Sorbet?" Von Kreist asked. Sorbet was curious.

"Know what…?" the captain asked.

"The family member Cunla was looking for was his father."-

"His father…?"-

"Cunla is the son of Cuchulain, the Hound of Ulster. And as you know, Cuchulain was one of the top warriors of the Universal Alliance, up until his death at the stone bridge during the Long Valley campaign." Sorbet's eyes grew big.

"He's the son of Cuchulain?" he inwardly thought. "No wonder he's so powerful…And his father…" Sorbet remained silent.

"I take it from your emotions that you still hold feelings for young Cunla."-

"Cunla doesn't realize that he's simply being manipulated." Sorbet said. "I know that he's a good guy. He just needs to be led back onto the right path."

"And who will persuade him otherwise?"-

"I will… I will persuade him."-

"But there's no guarantee that we'll see him again."-

"But if there is another chance encounter, before we engage, let me talk to him and try and entice him back into joining the Imperial ranks."-

"The boy is a traitor now. He's been branded as a defector by the Imperial Axis and is wanted dead or alive. Even if you were to somehow persuade him to join us again, what are the chances of him coming back without persecution?"-

"I have to try." Sorbet said. "Whatever it takes…"

"Your feelings for him are too risky. You must think about severing them. It'll put your mind at ease."-

"I can't. The bond the Kid and I forged can't be so easily severed." There was a sudden silence between the two. Von Kreist suddenly smiled.

"Very well then," he said, "I will give you one chance. Should we ever encounter your friend again, I will allow you one attempt to try and bring him back into the fold. However, should you be unsuccessful, I will have no choice, but to brand him as an enemy. And if that be the case, then we will have to kill him, whether your boyhood bonds are intact or not." Sorbet lowered his eyes.

"Should he not be persuaded to join us again…" the captain paused for a moment. "I'll kill him myself."

"I'll keep faith in your declaration, captain." Von Kreist gave a smile. "Well, that will be all. You may return to your quarters. You have had a long day."

"Sir…" Sorbet saluted. The colonel returned the gesture and the captain withdrew. But before opening the doors, he made one last statement.

"If I may ask you a favor, sir," Sorbet said.

"What is it?" Von Kreist asked.

"Don't tell anyone about the relationship I had with Cunla. I don't want anyone to question my own loyalty."-

"No words spoken on the matter will leave these quarters."-

"Thank you, sir." With that, Sorbet withdrew to his own bunk. Von Kreist all the while began typing his report. But just as he began, there came an intercom message from General Archadius.

"General Archadius, sir," the colonel addressed.

"We have new assignment from headquarters." General Archadius replied. "As of today, we are assigned to catch an elusive defector."

"Defector…?"

"We are going after the son of Cuchulain. We are to pursue Cunla and eliminate him at all costs."-

"Cunla...? Are you sure?"-

"It was reported that Cunla parted paths with the key bearers Riku and Sora and is now on the lamb. And the boy may prove more destructive now that he's on his own. By order of His Excellency Lord Sirius Viicous, we are to track down that traitor and kill him at all costs."-

"And where did this information come from, sir?" the colonel asked.

"Where else," Archadius replied, "From the new capital at the Disney Kingdom of course. Now, do you understand the new mission we have been given?"

"I understand, sir."-

"Then we are moving out right away." Archadius ended transmission. Von Kreist all the while, gave a sigh.

"It looks like you'll be given that chance to persuade your friend after all, Captain Sorbet." Von Kreist thought to himself. "Just not in the manner you expected."

The task to find Cunla and bring him to justice for his treachery became the new goal for Colonel Von Kreist and his men. This would be a definite surprise for young Sorbet, who was unaware of the change in his outfit's assignment. Now, they were the ones responsible for tracking down his old friend and eliminating him without question. The situation became more complex. Sorbet's chance to dissuade Cunla from fighting on the side of the Universal Alliance was inevitable, but how would he react once he realized their new objective.

Cunla's life was in danger. That much was for certain. Now that he was on his own, the chances of him being killed had increased. He was no longer in the sanctity of his friends' protection. As a result, he was more prone to attacks by Imperials who may wish to resolve a matter with him, whether it be direct or indirect. The Imperial Axis knew about his dire situation and now deployed a team to search and destroy him. However, that same information reached the ears of another team located in the Disney Kingdom. The Mickey Faction, the loyal resistance to the former king, got hold of the information regarding the hunt for Cunla. As a result, a meeting was held at the secret assembly area beneath an old farmhouse just on the outskirts of the capital city.

The assembly consisted of five different individuals. The first three were a triplet of young duck brothers. Of course who they are should be rather obvious. They were Donald's three nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louis. But the years had been kind to them, despite the recent uprisings and strife that their home was now facing. The three brothers had grown tall and thin with a slight physique. They had discarded their old red, blue, and green shirt and cap for more mature wear. In this case, since they were part of the resistance, they wore the royal uniforms of King Mickey's personal guard, now the symbol of resistance against the faction. Their voices were deeper than their uncles, more like adolescent teenagers, which they were. The only trait that they had similar to their uncle was the trade he practices. All three brothers were experts in alchemy, science, and the use of magic and the elements. Alone, their skills were about average. But combined together, the brothers had become a formidable force to deal with.

The fourth member was the only son of Goofy, Maximillian Goof, or Max for short, or as his father called him, Maxi. He too was a tall and lank individual. But unlike his father, Max did not have the same goofy attitude. He was more stolid and serious, at times trying to make himself look good amongst his peers, especially in front of the Duck Brothers and his other friends. He too wore the royal garments of a personal guardsman. Like his father, Max specialized in the use of the shield. However, unlike Goofy, Max used double shields, which had ten times the effect of his father's single shield. He was able to toss the shields like boomerangs in a three-sixty degree circumference, causing massive widespread destruction.

The leader of the pack was a young cat called Pete Jr., or PJ for short. He was the son of the kingdom's former enemy, Pete. However, unlike his father, PJ did not go the way of his father. Instead, he stayed loyal to King Mickey. The reason being was out of his affection for Max. Both of them were extremely close friends and it was the bond that allowed PJ to defy his father. Now, one of the most intelligent of the group, he was the one who passed out the assignments for the resistance. And this particular assignment was one of the most vital. It was PJ's idea to emphasize on the matter that would decide the fate of young Cunla.

"You know why we've assembled today, right?" PJ asked. "Apparently there's word that the young warrior Cunla has left the ranks of the KH team and is now heading on his own."

"We've heard." Max replied. "What I don't understand is why he would leave."

"From what reports say, his father, Cuchulain, was killed at Long Valley. So Cunla's leaving may have something to do with that."-

"But what does that have to do with us?" Huey asked.

"The Imperial Axis has branded that kid as a traitor. Now that they know Cunla's on his own, they've assigned an outfit to eliminate him."-

"What are you expecting us to do?" Dewey asked.

"I'm assigning you four to find Cunla and act as his teammates."-

"What…?" Max and the three Duck Brothers were shocked.

"You can't be serious, PJ!" Max interjected. "You're expecting us to team up with Cunla when the Disney Kingdom is under the thumb of the Imperials?"

"He's right, PJ." Louie added. "We're the best fighters you have. Yet you want to send us away to team up with some guy we don't know? The Imperial Axis has been cracking down on the resistance in the kingdom. Many of our campaigns against them are becoming very tedious. That's why we've had to enter battle almost continuously. You know that we are the most reliable you have."

"Well, I don't think the Midnight Faction will be concentrating on us as much as they did before." PJ assured them. "The Battle of Long Valley may have resulted in the death of one of the Alliances best fighters, but it was also a significant blow to the Imperial Axis. They lost a great deal of resources and manpower as a result of that blundering campaign against Oceansburg and it'll take them a while before they fully recover from the blow. So the authoritative power here will be quiet for the time being." PJ folded his arms in front of him. "Besides, Cunla is the son of Cuchulain, the only living flesh and blood to the Hound's legacy. To top it all off, he is also an extraordinary fighter; equaling even his father. His addition to the KH team was a significant one and his defection against the Imperial regime was even more crucial. However, now that he's on his own, he'll be easier for the Imperials to get at. Their objective is to kill Cunla at all cost. But I fear that because of what has happened, without his father to be there, Cunla might have lost his sense of direction. As a result, the Imperials might try to reincorporate Cunla back into their ranks and we would have lost a great asset."-

"Well, that's his problem, not ours." Max said. "If he's as good as his father, then let him do things on his own."

"Cuchulain was an extraordinary fighter too, Max, yet he was still killed at Long Valley."-

"But that was in the midst of battle!"-

"We owe something to that man, Max. All of us do. Cuchulain did all in his power to protect our loved ones constantly. One of them is your dad. So the least we can do to repay him is by helping his son and assuring his survival."-

"But…"-

"He's younger than you guys. Just think of yourselves as his guardians for the time being."-

"Great," Dewey grumbled, "We have to act as his babysitters."

PJ could already see that there was resistance and scorn at the thought from the four having to leave their home for some boy they only knew by reputation. To them, tracking down Cunla and having to look after him was detestable. Because of this lack of enthusiasm, PJ firmly put his foot down.

"This is an order, gents, not a request!" PJ declared.

"Yes, sir," Huey said.

"Listen, I know how you guys are feeling right now. Your temporary absence would deny us future success here in this world. But our other operatives are just as skilled and dedicated as you are." PJ looked at Max and put his hand on his shoulder. "Max, you and I have been best friends since we were kids. That's the reason I am fighting with you as an ally instead of an enemy like my father did against the Disney Kingdom. I have full confidence that you can fulfill this mission." He then turned to the others. "If you manage to find Cunla and team up with him, perhaps you can bring him back here to the Disney Kingdom and appoint him as one of our new operatives."

"Do you think the kid would fight for us?" Max asked.

"We can trust him to the highest bidder."-

"But what if he sways back to being an Imperial again?" PJ, unable to further explain, only sighed.

"If you find it absolutely necessary to return to the Disney Kingdom without Cunla, then do so without question. But do that if you find it as the only alternative left."-

"Very well…" Max stood at attention. The three brothers did the same. "Then it looks like you have your men."

"I know you will succeed."-

"But even though we've accepted this assignment," Huey said, "We still don't know where to find Cunla."

"That's simple." PJ replied. "If you want to find Cunla, you have to track down the Imperials assigned to search for him. And it so happens I know who they are."

"Well don't keep us in suspense."-

"The outfit assigned to find Cunla is under the command of Brigadier General Cruxis Archadius. And from what I understand, his outfit is heading to sector 97X547."-

"I see."-

"And when do we head out?" Louie asked.

"Immediately," PJ gave a slip of paper to Max. "Give this to the man in charge at the landing strip."

"Understood," Max replied.

"Boys, I wish you the best." With those last words came a final salute. Without further utterances, the four operatives withdrew to fulfill their next assignment.

Though they accepted the mission, enthusiasm in the mission was not at all up to quality standards. Neither Max, nor the three brothers found it crucial to support an individual unknown to them, expect by reports. To them, they were abandoning a cause worth fighting for and replacing it with one that was a waste of time.

"You guys," Dewey grumbled as he and the others boarded the gummi, "Do you think PJ's lost it?"

"It's official," Huey said, "The guy's lost his mind. He's been doing this job one too many times."

"I agree." Louie added. "What do you think, Max?" Max was silent for a time, working at his station.

"PJ has good intensions," he uttered, "But I don't know about now. Then again, in the extent that I've known PJ, when it comes to something serious, he never once passed bad judgment. Whatever his reasons were for, there must have been a deeper meaning to it."

"I think he should take some time off from the job."-

"In our line of work, that is not an option." Max inwardly commented soon after. "That could be his intension too."

"Are we ready to go?"-

"Roger that," Max increased the volume of the rockets. "Rockets preparing to go into silent mode… Activating optical stealth…"

"Lift off in T-minus 10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…!" With a push of the throttle, the gummi disappeared into the night sky, undetected by the Imperials.


	4. Cape Suzette

Cape Suzette 

Cunla, for the first time in years, realized the coldness and fear of isolation. He had his own matters to tackle with now. But as a result of his hasty withdrawal of the KH team, he now had no one who could tell him where to go or what to do. To add, there was no one who was present who he could converse with. Without the insight of one of his teammates, Cunla had no leads. He knew not where Imperial activity was taking place. He silently ate what was left of the bread given to him by the kindly old woman back in Vulgaria. He looked out in the vastness of space.

"It sure is lonely," he thought to himself.

"Don't worry about it, Cunla." A familiar voice suddenly uttered. Cunla turned to see who it was. Sitting in the copilot seat was none other than the image of his father.

"Dad…?" Cunla said. But no sooner had he done so, the image vanished from his eyes. The sudden image of his father gave him comfort only for a time, before he realized he was still alone. "My mind can be so cruel." For a moment, Cunla wavered, a moist tear forming upon his lashes. He trembled, but shook it off. "I have to stay strong. My dad would never want me to weaken like that."

Cunla began researching the most recent Imperial activity. One was taking place in a city called Metroville. Another was in a city called Hollywood. There was also an account of the Imperials looking for a lost city of gold. A fifth was regarding a mystical stone of power located in a place called the Great Kanto Desert. There were numerous other accounts. However, Cunla's concentration was interrupted due to the sound of an emergency alarm and a blinking light on the control board. The power levels for the gummi ship were rabidly depleting.

"I must have been traveling for quite some time." Cunla thought to himself. "The energy for the gummi is almost empty. I better find some place to land and have the gummi recharged."-

It was around the same time a second alarm went off. This one indicated that another world was close by. Cunla looked out to see a small world floating amidst the cosmos.

"Another world," Cunla thought to himself. He glanced at the name of the place. "Cape Suzette…" He looked at the statistics regarding his stop point. "There's no indication of any Imperial activity taking place in this world. Then again, I can't afford to be too picky. I have to recharge the gummi ship." Cunla prepared for his descent. The gummi entered the atmosphere. Before Cunla was a vast ocean, which hued a dark blue with very little white caps on the surface. But to the young man's misfortune, there was no sight of land.

But within minutes of his entry into the world of Cape Suzette, he noticed an island located to his right. It was a miniscule island, but by its features, it was well established. It had to be no more than a mile in diameter. There was a small rocky outcrop that towered like a mountain at the center of the island. Tough it was surrounded by lush vegetation, the very top was bare. On its peak was a massive sign, which read "Louie's." Near its base was a small establishment constructed of bamboo and hay. From a distance, it seemed like a hotel and grill where tourists stopped to enjoy paradise. And this notion might have been true, due to the sight of so many sea planes that were parked along to docks in front of the establishment.

"I guess this is just as good a place as any." Cunla thought to himself. "I could stay here for a while. He made a munny count. "I have enough for lodging."

Instead of landing at the pier, Cunla chose a small clearing on the beach to land the gummi ship. So as not to startle any of the locals, Cunla activated the optical stealth. The gummi steadily landed on the white sand of Louie's Island and nestled softly on the beach. Cunla exited the ship, pressed the capsule button to the side, and the gummi disappeared in a massive puff of smoke. The concealment capsule dropped onto the sand and Cunla picked it up. Placing it in his pocket, the youth made his way to the foundation.

As he peered inside, he saw that the entire place was filled with pilots. And not just any pilots, but animal pilots, dogs, lions, bears, panthers, etc. Like Goofy and Donald, all were dressed in their pilot jackets or Hawaiian shirts and were chatting away like normal people would. Cunla entered through the doors. Immediately, the place went silent as each eye peered at this brash young lad who appeared out of nowhere. But no glaring eye made the boy uneasy. Compared to what he encountered before in the course of his life, rough housing pilots were no more than roaches to him.

"Don't let me interrupt, gentlemen." He said. The pilots took no further notice and continued with their business. Cunla went up to the bar. It was there that the bartender, an orangutan with a Hawaiian shirt, pink flowered lay, and a wide brimmed straw hat, came up to him.

"Sorry, kid," he implied, "I can't serve anyone at your age any liquor."

"I don't drink." Cunla said. "It's terrible for your health."

"Can I interest you in a soda or juice?"-

"I'll have juice. Orange if you have it, sir."-

"One orange juice coming up…" The bartender took out a cold bottle from the fridge and poured it into a glass tanker. He handed it to the youth. "Your not one of our regulars are you? I've never seen you around."

"I just arrived at these parts." Cunla replied

"Where from…?"-

"Vulgaria…"-

"Never heard of it, but then again it's not really my business to be nosy." The bartender extended his hand. "By the way, my name's Louie, I'm the keeper of this bar and diner."

"I'm Cunla…" The two shook hands.

"Simply between us, what brings you here to my humble abode?" Cunla looked around.

"I was wondering if there's a pilot here who could help recharge a gummi energy cell."-

"Well…" Louie scratched his head. "I don't know anything about a gummi. But if you were to ask someone who could get you anything, it would be him." Louie pointed down to the far end of the dining area at one of the booths. There was a large bear dressed in a brown pilot shirt and bore a red cap on his head. "His name is Baloo. He's one of my best customers and the most skilled pilot around these parts."

"Really…? Is he that good?"-

"Everyone around here knows him. If anyone could help you out, it would be him."-

"Who's the cub with him?" Cunla pointed at a bear cub sitting at the same booth, he had on him a blue baseball cap with red brim and a green sweater.

"That there's Kit Cloudkicker. He's Baloo's partner. He's young for his age, but extremely skilled."-

"Is that so…?" Cunla was rather impressed by the Baloo's size. He certainly didn't seem the type who anyone would dare mess around with.

"Don't let his size fool you." Louie assured the youth. "Baloo might be big, but he's just as happy-go-lucky as a kid. That's why he's the best around here I guess. He never really takes his job seriously. He just does it for the sake of flying. It's always been his lifetime passion." Louie jumped over the bar. "I'll go over there and talk to him about seeing you if you'd like."

"That would be fine." Cunla replied. Louie walked over to where Baloo and Kit were sitting. Cunla watched as Louie pointed him out and the two eyed him with curiosity. Within a few minutes, Baloo and Kit stood up and made their way over to the bar where Cunla was standing.

"I understand that you're looking for the best of the best, right?" Baloo asked.

"So I'm told." Cunla replied.

"I don't believe we've properly introduced each other. The name's Baloo. I'm the number one ace around these parts."-

"And I'm Kit Cloudkicker," Kit replied, "I'm Baloo's partner."

"I'm Cunla." Cunla said.

"I understand that you have a proposition for me?" Baloo interjected.

"Yes, would you be able to recharge the energy cell to my gummi ship?"-

"I don't really know." Baloo scratched his head sheepishly. "I've never heard of a gummi ship before."

"I see…" Cunla turned away.

"Is this gummi thing-a-ma-bobber really that important?"-

"It's the only way for me to get off this island."-

"Hey, well if you've hoping to get off the island, you don't need any fandangle what-cha-ma-hoozit to get around. You just need a plane and the right guy to fly it."-

"You don't understand though."-

"Oh I understand plenty. You just don't want to admit that you have no way off, right? Well, we can fix that. You just come with us."-

"Well…" Cunla looked around. "I don't really have much of a choice."

"Then just follow us, kid!" Baloo and Kit led Cunla out of Louie's. "We'll be seeing you Louie! We got some business to take care of first!"

"Same time next week, Baloo…?" Louie asked.

"You know me?"-

After parting ways with Louie, the three walked down the talk to a large yellow sea plane with a red nose. The paint was slightly faded and the surface of the plane dented with pockmarks, indicating that the plane had been through a lot under Baloo's command. Baloo seemed proud of his plane, but through Cunla's eyes, it was an obsolete relic.

"You fly this?" Cunla asked.

"That I do." Baloo said with his head held high. "Why do you ask?"

"But this is a Conwing L-16 model."-

"Nicknamed the Sea Duck, and it's the fastest around…"-

"But…"-

"Don't worry, Cunla." Kit said. "Baloo's the best there is."

"Still…" Cunla then observed the other planes. He realized that all of them were propeller powered. "I see, I guess rocket and jet technology and rechargeable generation cells are yet to be discovered in this world." Cunla's hopes were dashed. "That means there's no one who can help me recharge the gummi's energy cell."

"Come on board, Kid!" Baloo said. He and Kit took their positions in the pilot and copilot seats. Cunla took a passenger seat at the rear of the cockpit. "Now, get yourself ready for the flight of your life."

"Of course," Cunla tried to be as enthusiastic as he could, so as not to give the impression that he was unimpressed.

Baloo switched on the ignition. The propellers on the Sea Duck's massive wings began to spin, slowly at first, but gained more speed. The pitter-patter of the engine gave way to a steady hum.

"Alright, here we go." Baloo said with a snicker. With mooring line thrown to the side, the Sea Duck began to move, gliding across the water on its air tight hull. Slowly at first, then more rapidly the plane moved. "Now all we do is ease up." With a pull on the wheel, Baloo forced the nose of the Sea Duck upward. With that, the plane lifted from the water and took to the skies. It steadied after a few minutes and the ride was smooth as silk. "There is nothing like an easy ride in the sky."

"I'm impressed." Cunla said as he watched the Louie's Island grow smaller with every foot gained.

"Now, about this gummi thing of yours,"-

"Oh yeah," Cunla took out the gummi from his pocket. Baloo and Kit turned to see the capsule device in his hand.

"Is that the gummi ship you were talking about?" Kit asked. "It's kinda small don't you think?"

"It's actually the portable capsule that it comes in."-

"Get out of here." Baloo said jokingly. "Are you telling me that ship of yours comes pill size?"

"That's correct." Cunla replied.

"There ain't no way that's possible."-

"That's right," Kit said. "To have a ship that comes capsule size, you would be holding technology decades in advance to the rest of the world. Even Shere Khan doesn't have those kinds of mechanics. And he's virtually ahead of the rest of the world by at least ten years."

"Who's Shere Khan…?" Cunla asked. Kit and Baloo were stunned.

"You never heard of Shere Khan?"-

"You really must be new in this area, kid." Baloo said surprisingly. "You mustn't even get out very much either. You don't even know a top brass guy like Shere Khan?"

"Forgive me for my ignorance, sir." Cunla said. "But I'm from a very far off part of the world." He later mumbled to himself. "Out of this world more like…"

"Shere Khan is the greatest business tycoon that ever lived. His company, Kahn Industries, is the largest name brand in existence and is worth over six billion dollars. And that price keeps growing every year."-

"Is that so…?"-

"See, over there!" Baloo pointed out towards the air space next to them. Cunla looked out the passenger window. Running almost parallel to the Sea Duck was another plane. Unlike the Sea Duck, this plane was well painted and properly furbished with smooth running engines. On the side, the initials SK were designed into a powerful insignia. "That's one of Shere Khan's planes, the most high-tech kind in the world so far."

"Ten-four, ten-four," a voice on the intercom shouted. "Khan Industries calling…!" Baloo picked up the receiver.

"Copy that, KI, how's it going?"-

"Hey Baloo, how are you doing?"-

"Pretty good, so far there's not a cloud in the sky and it's steady all the way to Cape Suzette."-

"Copy that, this is Khan Industries over and out!" Transmission ended and the pilot of the Khan Industry plane gave a salute. Baloo did the same.

"Do you know Shere Khan?" Cunla asked.

"Why do you ask?"-

"Well, from that interaction you had with the pilot."-

"Baloo's done some work for Shere Khan in the past." Kit explained. "From what I've seen, he and Khan are on pretty good terms, right Papa Bear?"

"Well, I wouldn't know about being buddy-buddy with him." Baloo said. "From what I can tell of Shere Khan, he's never once cracked a smile."

"One of those stolid types…?" Cunla asked.

"More like a guy who was born without a sense of humor."-

But no sooner had the salutations between the two aircrafts end, their came a burst of machine gun fire. Then there came the sound of an explosion as one of the propellers of Khan's plane suddenly bellowed forth black smoke.

"What was that?" Cunla wondered.

"Unfortunately, kid, there's another big name out there equaling Khan. We call them pirates!"-

"Pirates…?"-

"Air pirates to be precise…" Kit said.

"Air pirates…?" Cunla looked out to see a squadron of miniature tri-planes swooping down on them. But for some strange reason, the pirates seemed to be concentrating solely on Khan's airplane. "What do those pirates want?"

"Whatever it is, Khan's boys must have it." Baloo said. He went in for a spin.

"What are you doing?"-

"What does it look like? I'm giving them a hand."-

"A hand…?"-

"If there's one enemy every pilot has in common, it's air pirates." Baloo picked up the intercom. "Ten-four, ten-four, we're giving you guys a hand!"

"Never mind us, Baloo!" the pilot replied from the Khan aircraft. "Just get this package to Shere Khan as soon as you can."

"What…?!"-

"Don't worry, the cargo's small. Get Kit ready to receive it."-

"Alright," Baloo turned to Kit. "You heard the man, Kit."

"Roger," Kit jumped from his seat. "Throw out the line!"

"Gotcha," Baloo opened up the hatch and unleashed a long rope line at the rear of the cargo hold. Kit drew his famous crescent, steel glide board. Grabbing the line, he threw himself from the plane. After the rope tightened, Kit began sky surfing at the rear of the Sea Duck. Baloo placed the Sea Duck underneath the hull of the wounded Khan airplane. The pilot spotted Kit.

"Here comes the package, Kit!" he shouted from the open window. In his hand, he held a small iron box with lock. "Catch it!" In a brilliant and precise air maneuver, Kit managed to catch the box.

"Alright, Papa Bear, reel me in!" Kit shouted.

"Gotcha," Baloo replied. With a flick of the frontal switch in the cockpit, he brought the line in. But no sooner had Kit made it inside the cargo hold. Three of the pirate planes started firing at him. Now, the aggression of the buccaneers was concentrated on the Sea Duck. "Whatever it is Khan's boys were carrying, it must be really valuable."

Suddenly, there came the sound of what could only be described as heavy metal coming into contact with the Sea Duck and the sound of ropes wrapping around the wings. Within seconds, the Sea Duck was suspended in mid air.

"Uh-oh…" Baloo gasped. "That's not a good sign."

"What just happened?" Cunla asked.

"It's no good, kid. The pirates have us! They got us a lot faster than I thought!"-"Can't you do anything?"-

"No use. The pirates have the Sea Duck suspended on both wings and their armed to the teeth. What else can we do?"-

"Fight back."-

"This is the first time that these pirates actually managed to catch me with my flaps down. Hand to hand combat ain't exactly an easy task."-

"Is that so?" Cunla, filled with ecstasy, couldn't help, but smirk.

By this time, the pirates had climbed down the ropes bearing their grappling irons and made their way into the Sea Duck's cargo hold. Blunderbusses in hand, they aimed them at young Kit, who held tightly onto the box. From behind the line of pirates, appeared a wolf, orange in color, dressed in a double-breasted blue tailed coat with red cuffs, sky blue trousers tucking tucked in knee high, black boots, and a red sash wrapped around his waste. At his side was a gleaming steel cutlass, still sheathed in its scabbard.

"Greetings, my friend," The wolf said so boisterously in a thick Spanish accent

"It is I, Don Karnage!"

"What do you want, Karnage?" Kit said defiantly.

"Quite simple, boy…" Karnage put his arms behind him. "I was in the middle of plundering some very valuable knickity-knacks from Khan Industries, when you and your pompous pilot friend, Baloo decided to interfere. But luckily for me, I was ready in case you pulled off such a stunt." Karnage extended his hand. "Now if you please."

"Please what…?"-

"You know what I want. I want that box. You have taken what I have rightfully stolen, no?"-

"No is right! You're not getting it!"-

"I have had my fill of your mouth, boy." Don Karnage said. "If you will not give the box to me willingly, I will have no choice, but to take it from you by force." Karnage turned to his men. "Get the box." The pirates moved forward. Kit found himself backing against the wall that separated the cargo hold from the cockpit. Still, he held tightly onto the box, even though the pirates were closing in on him. Karnage ordered his men again. "Get me that box!"

But before a rush could be made, the door to the cockpit swung open. And there, standing in the doorway was Cunla. He stood like an iron figure head, his sudden entry a shock to the pirates.

"You must all be pretty proud of yourselves," Cunla boldly stated, "A bunch of big burly pirates, armed to the teeth, picking on one boy."

"And who are you?" Don Karnage demanded.

"I don't really think it's necessary for me to address myself, not to scumbags like you." Cunla's words caused Karnage to grow red in the face. He became hopping mad.

"Why you little…" He turned to his men. "Dispose of this little brat! Throw him out!" The pirates aimed their blunderbusses.

"Trust me, gents. If you want to live to see tomorrow, you better drop your weapons."-

"He is just a boy!" Karnage shouted. "What can he do?"

But before a trigger could be pulled, each lock from every gun had been cut off. Cunla was seen again with his sword drawn, its razor sharp steal glimmering like the sun. The guns of the pirates were useless now. Karnage's men were shocked.

"What was that?" Kit uttered.

"I see," Karnage chuckled. "So you are handy with a sword are you? Well, so are we!" The pirates drew out their own cutlasses. Though outnumbered, Cunla stood like a rock.

"Get into the cockpit, Kit." Cunla said. "Take the package with you."

"But you don't stand a chance against all of them." Kit replied.

"You proved to me how skilled you are. Now, I'll prove how skilled I am. And my specialty happens to be combat." Cunla confronted the pirates. "Stand down, you fools, if you want to live this day!"

"You don't scare us, boy!" Karnage declared. "Get him!"

The pirates rushed at Cunla with cutlasses drawn. Cunla only smirked. He suddenly threw forth his sword in an upward slash. Again, he cut. Again and again as fast as lightning, he cut threw the pirate line. To the pirates, however, what they witnessed was only one strike, coming in the form of a flash of light. The pirates suddenly stopped in their tracks, bewildered at what just occurred. They did not see anymore than one strike from Cunla's sword, but even that was enough to halt their advance. Perhaps it was Cunla's inner strength that ceased their advance. The pirates watched as Cunla sheathed his sword back into the scabbard. Almost instantly, all the swords of the pirates were split in half, the front of the blades suddenly fell with clean cuts and falling onto the floor of the cargo hold.

"Your cutlasses are no match for an Imperial katana." Cunla declared. Frightened by what happened, and now virtually disarmed and disheartened, the pirates quickly withdrew in terror back to their planes, or threw themselves into the sea, all except for Don Karnage.

"You won't intimidate me as easily, boy." Karnage declared. With cutlass drawn, he faced off against the son of the Hound. "Let us see how you favor against a real pirate."

"You insist on dying today, don't you?" Cunla chuckled. He drew out his sword again. "So be it…!" The two combatants stood glaring at each other with their blades at the ready.

Just then, Karnage swiftly thrust his cutlass towards Cunla. Cunla quickly reacted, blocking the hit and engaging in a counterstrike. Karnage did the same. Within seconds, Cunla and Karnage were at each other's throats, slashing, thrusting, and striking as best they could. To their surprise, however, neither gained the upper hand over the other. No cut or scratch was inflicted by either of their swords. Kit watched from behind some cargo crates as the battle unfolded before him. The two even went so far as to battle near the open hatch of the cargo hold, risking a mile fall to the deep blue sea below.

"I must admit that you are a formidable foe for one so young." Karnage commented on Cunla's skills. "No one has ever fought me head on with like this, with a blade, in years. And even the best of the best were no match for me. But you are something different."

"I also have to admit that you too are strong." Cunla replied.

"That is very true." The two continued to clash. "However, despite your skill, you are still just a boy. And that means you are no match for a full grown man like me."

"I've had worse odds."-

"Then try this on!" Karnage suddenly kicked Cunla out of the open hatch. But Cunla managed to grab hold of the line that Kit used before and held on tightly. Karnage was again impressed. "You certainly are swift in your reflexes, but how will you favor when your life line is detached?" Karnage cut the rope and watched as Cunla went plummeting to the sea.

To Cunla's luck, one of the Karnage's men was flying just behind the sea duck from beneath. Cunla managed to land on the wing, causing the aircraft to stumble slightly.

"Get off of my plane!" the pirate shouted. He tried to loop around and throw Cunla off. But the boy held on tight. "Who is this kid?" Cunla steadied himself on the wing. He suddenly leaped just behind the pirate and held his blade close to the buccaneer's throat.

"Try that again and it'll cost you your life." The boy uttered.

"Y…yes sir…"-

"Now get be back to the sea duck…!" The pirate, feeling the blade on his throat, had no choice but to oblige. He elevated the plane steady with the Sea Duck, which was still suspended by the pirate cables. Karnage watched as the ordeal unfolded before him.

"Unbelievable…" he uttered.

Cunla suddenly leaped to the front, steadily balancing him on the nose of the tri-plane. His swords still aimed at the pirate, the boy smiled.

"Thank you for obliging me," He chuckled, "But unfortunately, you have to pay for that last stunt." Cunla reached down and cut the stick from the control panel. He then thrust his sword into the engine of the plane. He quickly extracted the blade, turned towards the Sea Duck in front of him, and with all his might, leaped up onto the top of the Sea Duck. All the while, the pirate plane he was on went plummeting in a puff of smoke as the engine burst into flames and caused the aircraft to go crashing down into the waves of the ocean.

Cunla all the while, began walking onto the wings of the Sea Duck and started cutting the pirate lines that kept it suspended. Karnage could feel the Sea Duck slipping. Baloo felt it as well.

"That kid must be cutting the lines." He said to himself, "At a boy!"

"No, no, no," Karnage growled. "He is ruining everything!" Karnage pointed out to one of his planes. The plane followed close behind the Sea Duck. "If that boy can jump onto the nose of my planes, so can I." Karnage jumped onto the nose of the pursuing pirate plane. "Drop me off at the top of this plane!"

"Aye, aye, sir!" his crewman replied.

"I want to finish that boy off before he makes anymore trouble for us."-

"Should we have the others shoot him?"-

"No, I want to finish this fight with him myself!"-

"But why…?"-

"It has been too long since I had a proper fight. I want to see it to the last. My honor depends on it!"-

"Yes sir,"-

The crewman elevated his plane over the Sea Duck. It was there that Karnage saw Cunla cutting the grappling cables, despite several pirates trying to shoot at him.

"Just a few more," Cunla said to himself. But as he reached the last couple of lines, he was confronted by Karnage, who jumped upon the roof of the Sea Duck. Cutlass gripped in hand, the pirate captain was prepared to finish the fight.

"You have caused me enough trouble for one day, boy! I will not have you ruining our plans!"-

"You never know when to quit, do you?" Cunla suddenly smiled. With a swing of his word, he cut the remaining lines, liberating the Sea Duck from the pirate grappling irons. "Besides, you're already too late."

"Why you…?!"-

"You want to make something of it, then come and get me, Don Karnage!"-

"With pleasure…!"-

Cunla and Karnage ran towards each other as they had before in the cockpit. Now they combated on the top of the Sea Duck. Back and forth they battled, though the turbulence and strong force due to the plane's intense speed. All along the back and the base of the wings, the two fought. However, it seemed that Cunla was slightly giving way to Karnage's attacks. It wasn't long before the two met in a dead lock.

"It seems that we're still evenly matched." Karnage chuckled. "But you look like you're losing strength fast."

"You know the old saying 'to know your enemy?'" Cunla asked. "Well, you've been making a lot of large judgments on me. Unfortunately for you, there's a small secret I'm yet to reveal."

"What is that?"-

"I've only been playing with you up until now." Cunla suddenly pushed Karnage away and went on the offensive. Suddenly the air pirate found himself at a disadvantage against Cunla. He tried to keep up with the same amount of effort as before, but to no avail. It was as if the boy had increased his strength and speed twice of what it was. If hadn't been a full minute before another reprieve was needed.

"Who are you?" Karnage asked. "No ordinary boy could fight so wildly against me and my men."

"You have proven yourself a worthy adversary." Cunla declared. "Therefore, I find it only fair that I reveal who I am. You have earned it after all." Cunla stood tall, boldly declaring his title. "I am Cunla, son of Cuchulain."

"I see. Then prepare to for death, Cunla, son of Cuchulain."-

"As should you…"-

"You seem a descent fellow, no? I hate to kill you."-

"You seem a descent fellow as well. I'd hate to be killed."-

However, this reprieve was again broken. From a distance, the sound of cannons could be heard. Karnage and Cunla looked. Off in the distance, a large landmass bordered by cliffs could be seen. At one point, there was a large crevice that seemed a doorway to some far off land. And near that deep crevice, puffs of smoke and sounds of thunder came echoing. The blasts were followed by exploding shells that struck at the pirate planes.

"What in the world is that?" Cunla thought to himself.

"No, no, no," Karnage said. "It's the Cape Suzette cannons!"

"Captain," one of the pirates shouted. "We must withdraw!"

"And I was so close. But we have no choice." Karnage shouted to his men. "Men, back to the Iron Vulture…!"

"Aye-aye," the crewmen cried and withdrew their planes, all except one who acted as an escort for the captain. Before departing, Karnage turned to face Cunla again. But this time, it was not with his blade. Instead, he sheathed his cutlass back into it's scabbard.

"You have won this time, Cunla." Karnage declared. "Our little duel is postponed for now. But we will meet again to finish it! And I will be the one victorious, no?" With that Don Karnage threw himself from off the Sea Duck and landed safely on the escort plane. "Adios senor…!" Karnage and his escort disappeared into the horizon. Cunla too sheathed his sword.

"I'll be waiting when that time comes." He quietly replied. He stood atop the Sea Duck as the plane and the Khan aircraft edged closer to the cliffs of Cape Suzette. Sheathing his word, Cunla retreated back into the interior of the Sea Duck. Kit was waiting for his return.

"That was incredible." Kit said. "You went head to head with Don Karnage and his pirate crew and held your own."

"I've had worse odds." Cunla replied as he and Kit returned to the cockpit.

"That was almost too close for comfort." Baloo said. "It's a good thing that we have the cliff guns on our side. The pirates never seem to get passed them."

"Except for that one time when they invented that lightning gun," Kit interjected.

"Well, with an upgrade in fire power, even the pirates better be careful if they try that stunt again."-

"So where are we off to now?" Cunla asked.

"Well, since we have Kahn's little package, we're gonna have to pay him a visit."-

It wasn't long before the Sea Duck and its wounded companion of Khan Industries made it through the deep gorge leading to Cape Suzette. Once reaching their destination, Cunla was in awe at what he saw. Before him lay a grand and prosperous city with tall skyscrapers constructed in an early twentieth century style. Many of the buildings consisted of chrome, which flickered brightly from the reflecting rays of the sun. In the air around the buildings, old propeller biplanes and cargo planes flew about alongside massive passenger zeppelins. And on the streets below, a steady stream of old fashioned automobiles flowed from one point in the bustling metropolis to the other. It was a nostalgia of days long passed.

"Amazing," Cunla thought to himself. Soon, the Sea Duck flew down onto a private airstrip following Khan's cargo plane. The runway lay before one of the largest buildings in Cape Suzette. It was a black structure with reflecting windows. The light of the sun gave a dark reflection on the building's surface. And at the top of the building, the massive letters KI were gilded in gold. Such a structure could only display power and intimidation, so was the image of Khan Industries. "So this is it?"

"This is the place, kid." Baloo replied, "The heart of the greatest conglomerate in the world."

"I'm extremely impressed."-

"You think this is incredible, wait until you meet the guy behind it all."-

"The big man himself," Kit added.

The planes landed and were maneuvered into their designated stations. With the package still held tightly in their possession, Baloo, Kit, and Cunla made their way to the office of Shere Khan. As they came into the main entrance on the ground floor, they came before a massive desk where Khan's clerks were stationed. One of them, Khan's messenger and head clear, a lanky tiger with which shirt, black vest, and red bowtie, was on duty. He confronted the trio.

"May I help you, gentlemen?" he asked.

"Yeah," Baloo replied. "We're here to see Shere Khan."

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to go through the necessary channels in order to set up an appointment with Shere Khan."-

"Well, we have a little package here for him." Baloo gave Kit the wink. Kit raised the iron box before the clerk.

"How did you come to get that item?" the clerk asked.

"It must be a really important article to have Karnage's air pirates try and steal it."-

"You confiscated it from Khan?"-

"We had to help a couple of your pilots who were being attacked by Karnage's goons. They threw it to us in case they didn't make it."-

"All right then. You did a good job, gentlemen." The clerk stretched forth his hand. "Now if you would be so kind as to give the item to me, I'll deliver it to Mr. Khan immediately."

"No can do." Baloo said. "We went through a lot to get this. I only find it proper to give it to Old Stripes personally."

"I can't permit you in without the proper clarification."-

"We just want to make sure that we'll be properly reimbursed for all the trouble we went through to trying to save this little thing." The clerk found himself in a pickle now. Hesitantly, he pressed the button to the intercom, which led to Shere Khan's office.

"Mr. Khan, sir," he said. From the other side of the line came a deep distinguished voice. It was the voice of Shere Khan himself.

"What is it?" Shere Khan replied.

"I have Baloo here."-

"Baloo…?"-

"The pilot of Higher for Hire…"-

"Oh yes, what does he want?"-

"Well sir, he has that important package you were waiting for."-

"That package…?"-

"Yes sir."-

"What of my elite pilots?" Shere Khan asked.

"They were attacked by Don Karnage and the air pirates, sir." The clerk replied. "They, however, managed to successfully transfer the package over to the Sea Duck and its crew."

"I see…" There was a slight pause. "Have theme leave the package at the front desk and deliver it to me as soon as possible."

"No can do, Mr. Khan!" Baloo interceded. "It wouldn't be proper for us to go through so much trouble and not get to hand it to you personally." Another dead pause lingered after Baloo's last few utterances.

"Very well then Mr. Baloo," Shere Khan responded. "You may come up and see me. I will thank you personally."

"Thanks a bundle, Mr. Khan," The transmission ended.

"If you would care to follow me, gentlemen." The clerk instructed. The trio followed the clerk down the hall and into the tallest elevator with black doors. This led straight to Khan's office. It took only a few minutes before the elevator reached the top of the tower, where the chairman was waiting. The doors opened and the trio followed the clerk down another long hall. This hall was of pure white marble and gold embroidery inscribed in the precious mineral. They came before another pair of doors made of black marble and bearing the insignia of Khan Industries.

"Now, gentlemen," the clerk said, "You will be respectful to Mr. Khan. Do not make any unnecessary outbursts or offensive comments. You will address the chairman formally at Mr. Khan. You are to speak only when you're spoken to. And above all, you must remain reserve and punctual. Further more…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Baloo said. "You went through this whole thing before." Instead of heeding the words of the clerk, Baloo did the exact opposite. First he barged right into the office with a great deal of gusto and strolled down the red carpeting leading to Khan's desk with as much grace as a drunken man in a bar.

Shere Khan's office was a sight to behold. It was pure black marble with red carpeting leading to his desk and to the upper level where his library and living quarters were located. There was great plethora of exotic plants that grew large planters that equaled the entire length of the office. Amidst the vegetation were also artificial springs, rivers, and falls filled with golden Koi, giving the appearance of an aquatic oasis. At the very end were a black marble desk and a chair with a high back and equally dark in its hue. Baloo, Kit, and Cunla, came up to the desk, the clerk taking his place at the side of the desk.

"I understand you have something of great value that belongs to me?" the deep voice said.

"We certainly do."-

"Excellent," the chair behind the desk suddenly turned to reveal the identity of Shere Khan. He too was a tiger. But unlike the clerk, he was an impressive sight, big, muscular, and intimidating with a well distinguished chin. His entourage was a full piece suit with white shirt, a black double-breasted business coat, a red tie with a twenty karat diamond acting as a centerpiece, and gold buttons and cufflinks. "I'm glad to see that my cargo was handled by a very reliable individual." Just then, Shere Khan eyed Cunla. "Although, I don't believe I've ever seen you as part of Baloo's party."

"I'm Cunla," Cunla addressed himself. "I was simply a bystander."

"I see," Khan looked at Baloo. "Well, since you have the item I require, I'll be taking it out of your hands."

"Of course," Baloo replied. He gave Kit to signal and the young cub placed the locked box on Khan's desk.

"Very well done…"-

"Just out of curiosity, what is that thing anyway?"-

"Well, you might say that this particular item may revolutionize the way the world transports goods from place to place."-

"Really…?"-

"Now, is there anything else you need?" Khan asked as he slipped the box into one of the drawers of his desk.

"Well, the Sea Duck could use a few repairs."-

"It's as good as done." Khan wrote a letter and handed it to Baloo. "Give this to the chief mechanic. He'll give you all the necessary items."

"That's mighty kind of you, Mr. Khan." Baloo took the letter. "Now, we'll be on our way."

"Very well then," Shere Khan looked at his clerk. "See that these gentlemen are safely escorted."

"Yes sir," the clerk replied.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you." Baloo said, tipping his hat. The three withdrew. But for some odd reason, Khan kept his eye specifically on Cunla.

"Cunla…" Khan thought to himself. "I wonder."


	5. Conspiracy

Conspiracy

Baloo's plane was fixed and readied within the hour. The dents and the bullet holes inflicted after the encounter with the pirates were patched and repaired. The tank was refilled with gas and the proper amount of cash was paid in full for any inconveniences. Baloo, Kit, and Cunla watched as the Sea Duck's tattered hull was brought back to shining yellow.

"Now isn't that nice of old Khan to give us a little assistance?" Baloo chuckled.

"I just hope that you don't overdue it and have to pay him back, Papa Bear." Kit replied. "He is after all giving you a full repair and refill as well as a large sum to pay for further damages and such."

"Hey, hey, it's all in the business we keep." Baloo licked his thumb and counted the bills one by one. "Besides, Khan's the richest man in the world. He can afford a little expenditure for old time's sakes."

"Yeah, but you don't know him that well." It was at that moment that Kit glanced at Cunla to see this rather disturbed look on his face. Wondering what it was that bothered Cunla, Kit questioned him. "Are you alright, Cunla?"

"Of course I am." Cunla asked with a little surprise in his expression. "Why do you ask?"

"I can see it in your face. You looked somewhat preoccupied. Is something bothering you?"-

"Well…" Cunla looked down. "It's Shere Khan…"

"What about him?" Baloo asked curiously.

"I'm wondering if there was something he was keeping from us?"-

"Who knows? The guy's a stiff. In all the years I've done some off-the-side jobs for him, I never once seen him crack a smile."-

"There was something about that package we returned to him. How important could it be to have pirates like Don Karnage try and snatch it?"-

"The pirates are always after something." Kit said. "No matter who the pilot is, the pirates will high jack 'em and take whatever they want. Products from Khan Industries are particularly valuable. Karnage would snatch at it every time when given the chance."-

"There is something about this particular package, however, that makes me very uneasy, as if there was some outside connection with it?"-

"Like what?"-

"I don't know." Cunla tightened his fists. "I haven't figured that part out yet."

"Well, in the meantime," Baloo interjected, "What do you say that we get back home? The Sea Duck is as good as new and I'm sure the boss would love to meet you, kid."

"Home…Boss…?"-

"That's right! It's good old Higher for Hire. And the boss is none other than Rebecca Cunningham."-

"Sounds like quite the lady." Cunla said.

"That depends upon your interpretation." Kit sighed. His statement made Cunla feel uneasy. The three boarded the Sea Duck and took off into the setting sun, heading back to their home base.

All the while, Shere Khan sat at his desk, sipping a glass of brandy. Something was on his mind and it wouldn't go away until he found a solution. He tapped his claws upon the desktop, pondering at his meeting with Baloo.

"That boy with Baloo and Kit Cloudkicker," he thought to himself, "He looked strangely familiar. Could it be that he…?" His thinking was interrupted by a blast from the intercom. It was one of the secretaries from the bottom floor.

"Mr. Khan," she said, "Your visitors have contacted us."

"Yes…?" Khan replied.

"They say that they should be there by nightfall to discuss the recent item sent to you."-

"I see," Khan continued to tap his fingers. "Very well, show them to my office as soon as they arrive."

"Yes sir," The transmission ended. Khan opened up the top drawer of his desk and glanced at the box. "What exactly do you have for me?" Khan took out the box and examined it. "This package must be extremely valuable, indeed, for you to put a lock on it and withhold access to the key until our meeting. Did you surmise that something like this would happen?" With no further remarks, Khan placed the box securely back into his desk and continued to sip away at his brandy. "I guess I'll figure it out sooner or later."

It didn't take long for the trio to retreat back to Higher for Hire. The building lay just off shore with a long wooden, T-shaped pier to accommodate the Sea Duck. At the very edge was a large sign elevated to a lofty height by two pillars of solid oak. On the arched board, the words 'Higher for Hire' could be visibly seen, although the lettering was not exactly the work of an artist. The dock ended before an old wooden structure. The center building was three stories, with a massive storage tower, completed with a flag that stuck upon the top of a pyramid roof. It looked somewhat rundown and decrepit, but the exterior can be deceiving, or as Cunla would later find out. His first impression of Higher for Hire was not up to his usual standards.

The Sea Duck came to a steady halt. Kit jumped out and tide off the Sea Duck to the Mooring line. The engines were silenced and Baloo and Cunla jumped out.

"Nothing like home sweet home," Baloo said with a sigh.

"You live here?" Cunla asked.

"This is 'Higher for Hire,' what do you think of it?"-

"Well…"-

"I know…I know. I never much liked the name either. Becky was the one who thought it up."-

"Becky…?"-

"Ms. Cunningham." Kit whispered.

"I see…"-

"Just don't let her hear you say that, Papa Bear."-

"Awe, Becky knows about how I…?" Baloo's statement came to an abrupt end as the high screech sound of a woman came from the old building.

"Baloo…?!" the woman shouted. The trio looked to see none other than Ms. Rebecca Cunningham standing at the doorway. She was a complete opposite to Baloo. She was a slender young female bear with a petite stature. She had long brown hair and a cute button nose. She wore a mauve sweater and dark violet pants. As cute and petite as she seemed, the fire in her eyes and the clenched fists at her sides indicated that she was not a woman to be messed with, even by a guy as big as Baloo.

"Hi Baloo, hi Kit…!" another voice said. This time, it was the coo of a little girl. Appearing at Rebecca's side was her daughter Molly. She was a dashing little blonde angel dressed in blue overalls with frills. She carried a stuffed animal in her arms.

"Hey Molly, Hey Miss Cunningham…!" Kit said running up to them. "Sorry we were a little late."

"A little late…?!" Becky shouted. "Do you even know what time it is?! It's almost eight o'clock in the evening and all you can say is that you were a little late?! You were supposed to be back from Louie's three hours ago!"

"Sorry, Becky," Baloo said, scratching his head. "We were held up."

"Held up?! What could possibly have held you up for three hours?!"-

"You don't understand, Miss Cunningham." Kit said. "It was Don Karnage!"

"A likely story…! You expect me to believe that you were being attacked by Don Karnage?!"-

"That is the absolute truth, ma'am." Cunla interjected. "What they say is no lie." Rebecca and Molly turned to see this young man suddenly appear before them.

"Who's this?" Rebecca asked.

"This is Cunla." Baloo said. "We gave him a lift."

"Where did you come from, young man?"-

"I came here to see if someone could help me recharge my gummi ship." Cunla replied.

"A gummi ship…?" Rebecca was curious. She looked at Baloo. Baloo was equally clueless at what Cunla was talking about.

"Don't look at me." Baloo said. "I have no idea what the kid is talking about."

"So exactly what did the pirates want, Baloo?"-

"They wanted some package of Shere Khan's. We had to help one of his planes from getting high-jacked by Old Karny."-

"They transferred the package to us mid-air." Kit added.

"Shere Khan's cargo…?" Becky asked. "What was it?"-

"I don't know. They kept it locked away in a small iron box. We never got to see what was in it. All Khan said was that it would change the world of aviation forever."-

"I wonder…" Cunla thought to himself.

"Well, no wonder he wouldn't let you see it." Becky said. "It must be some top secret project. You did the right thing, Baloo."

"I sure did." Baloo replied. He pulled out the wad of cash he got from Shere Khan. "Not only did Shere Khan fix up the Sea Duck, but his also gave me enough cash for any expenditure that…" But before he could finish, Becky took the money from him.

"I'll be taking that."-

"Hey, wait a minute!"-

"First of all Baloo, exploiting others is something I will not tolerate, even if the money comes from a guy as wealthy and powerful as Shere Khan. Second, I am going to make sure that this money goes into a worthy cause. I will not have you blowing all of this cash on drinks during your next trip to Louie's."-

"But Becky…"-

"No buts about it! This is for your own good" Rebecca withdrew back into the main office. "If you really want to be useful, help Cunla here with his problem." Rebecca turned to Cunla. "It was nice to meet you, Cunla. And don't let that big oaf try and dissuade you. If he does, call me and I'll straighten him out."

"Yes ma'am…" Cunla replied.

"Bye-bye…!" Molly said before following her mom back inside. Rebecca closed the door leaving the boys out in the night air.

"Now you see what I mean?" Kit asked.

"She certainly is rough around the edges." Cunla replied.

"Don't let her size fool you." Baloo added.

"Anyway, about my gummi ship…"-

"Oh yeah," Baloo turned to the son of the Hound. "I bet Wildcat can help us."

"Wildcat…?"-

"He's our mechanic."-

"Is he any good?"-

"The best there ever was."-

"He can fix anything." Kit said.

"But how knowledgeable is he in gummi technology?" Cunla asked.

"He can certainly find out for you." Baloo assure the boy. "Your troubles will be over after that."

"On the contrary," Cunla thought to himself, "I think my troubles just started."

Wildcat's quarter was a detachment off of the main building. He lived in the garage, which was filled marks of his trade, such as tools, oil, spare parts, screws, nails, and everything else that a professional mechanic and electrician required. The smell o the garage was steel, oil, and axel grease.

Wildcat, was in the process of repairing an old engine of the Sea Duck, which had been recently extracted from the aircraft. He was not really an impressive sight. He was a lion, lank and scrawny. He was dressed in a blue mechanic's jumpsuit and wore a worn out, red baseball cap. He had a distinctive chin like Shere Khan, but his personality was completely the opposite of the corporate giant. He was covered in grease and hammering away when Kit, Baloo, and Cunla approached him.

"Hey, Wildcat," Baloo said. The shout startled Wildcat and caused him to hammer down on his thumb. Wildcat gave out a strange yell, like that of a drunken man. His thumb pulsated with a red pain. But after a few short moments, he recovered from the pain, turning his attention towards the trio.

"Well, hello, Baloo." He replied. His accent didn't seem very sophisticated. In fact, it sounded as if he had been at the bottle one too many times.

"Cunla, this is Wildcat."-

"Well, please to meet you there, kid." Wildcat said as he wiped the excess grease from his paws. Cunla extended his hand. Wildcat grabbed it and shook hardily. The contact left Cunla's white glove dirty.

"It's a pleasure." Cunla replied as he looked at the stains of the axel grease.

"Cunla's got some technical problems with a gadget he calls a gummi ship." Kit said. "You think you can help him?"

"Well, I don't know." Wildcat replied. "I never heard of a gummi before. Come to think of it, I don't know if I ever saw one. Is it something you ride in?" The son of the hound was a little concerned.

"Are you sure he's the best mechanic around?" Cunla whispered to Baloo.

"I know what you're thinking." Baloo replied. "Don't let his appearance fool you though. He's never had a job he couldn't tackle. Just go ahead and show him this gummi of yours."

"Alright then…"-

"Wait until you see this." Baloo said to Wildcat. Cunla pulled out his gummi capsule.

"Is that it?" Wildcat asked. "Kinda small wouldn't you say? I mean how do you manage to fit in that?"

"That's what we asked him too."-

"Well, I have to activate it first." Cunla explained. He clicked the head of the capsule and threw it a few yards away. There came a sudden poof. Not too loud as to wake up the neighbors, but in a display that forced Baloo, Kit, and Wildcat to jump. As the smoke cleared, Cunla's gummi appeared. "There it is."

The others were left awestruck. They couldn't believe that such a small pill-sized capsule would contain a massive ship like the one before them.

"Well, what do you think?" Cunla asked.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a minute!" Baloo said. "Are you saying that that big thing came out of that little pill?"

"That's right."-

"That's impossible though." Kit uttered. "You can't have this thing with you."

"Apparently I do."-

"This is unreal though."-

"How so…?"-

"To hold something like that, you'd have to have technology decades, if not centuries in advance. Could you imagine what people would do if they could turn their ships, their cars, and even their planes into capsules? You wouldn't have to worry about parking anymore."-

"You think I can get one of those?" Baloo asked.

"This is no laughing matter, Papa Bear. Cunla has possession of technology that hasn't come into existence yet. I mean this kind of technology is the stuff you'd find in comic books. I mean what if such a contraption was to fall in the hands of a corporate big shot like Shere Khan, or even worse, Don Karnage. That pirate could hold an entire squadron of planes in his pocket and waltz into Cape Suzette without detection. Then, he could unleash his capsule planes and attack the city and no one would know until it was too late."-

"But they don't know it exists."-

"Not yet anyway."-

"You may not be too far off there, Kit." Cunla said.

"What do you mean?"-

"Exactly how big was the box we delivered to Shere Khan?"-

"Well, about so big." Kit gave an estimated measurement.

"Why do you ask?" Baloo wondered.

"I think that package we delivered to Shere Khan contains capsules like this one. A box the size of the one we gave to him could hold at least ten to twenty individual capsules. He might have gotten hold of gummi technology."-

"How do you know?"-

"I noticed the way he was looking at me, as if he had seen someone like me before. And such technology as this, which you claim hasn't come into existence yet, may have come from some other outside source." Cunla's hands began to sweat.

"So you're telling us that Shere Khan has more of these pills?" Wildcat asked.

"I believe so. And where he got it…"-

Cunla's predictions were almost entirely accurate. He speculated that there was a power, not of that particular world, that was afoot. It would not be long before he realized that the Imperial Axis was indeed engaged in military operations in the world of Cape Suzette. And the representatives were on their way to meet with Shere Khan because it would be later discovered that he had gummi technology in his possession after all. Shere Khan was still dressed in his business attire and sitting at his desk, filling out important paperwork, when the intercom sounded. It was his secretary on the bottom floor.

"Mr. Khan," she said.

"What is it?" Shere Khan replied.

"Your guests have arrived."-

"Have my clerk show them in."-

"Yes, Mr. Khan…" The transmission ended and Shere Khan continued signing signatures on the necessary documents. Ten minutes later, the doors to his office opened. The clerk stood alongside a man in his thirties. He went by the simple title of Colonel Artori Ajax. He was lank and slender, young in appearance. His face was a slight tan with well combed brown locks. His eyes were a strange hazel green, an odd color for one of his complexion. He wore a double-breasted overcoat with elbow length cape and red lining. He bore a saber at his side, supported by a thin should strap and belt made of bleached leather, giving in a white look. The entire ensemble was completed with white gloves and black pants and leather boots polished to a fine shine. Accompanying Colonel Ajax were eight vigilant body guards, though they were all dressed in black, their uniforms varied in different styles. To conceal their identity, the bodyguards wore black masks that covered the full upper part of the face from the cheekbones to the top of the forehead.

"Mr. Khan," the clerk said, "Colonel Artori Ajax and company."

"Thank you, young man." The colonel addressed in a rather snooty accent, like that of high school prep. He turned to his guards. "You may go." The guards obeyed and withdrew from the room. The clerk followed soon after. The doors were closed and Shere Khan and Ajax were left alone in the room. The colonel was the one to approach. "It is a pleasure to meet with you again, Mr. Khan."

"Colonel Ajax," Khan replied. The two shook hands. Khan sat in his usual seat. Ajax sat in the chair opposite. "Would you care for some brandy?"

"I'd prefer if we get down to business."-

"Very well,"-

"I would like to ask if you are still interested in my earlier offer about improving your industries by upgrading their way of transportation."-

"I take it that this offer is in regards to the package sent to me?" Khan pulled out the box from his drawer and presented it to the colonel.

"That is correct, Mr. Khan."-

"Well, it must be an item of extraordinary importance if you didn't even bother to give me the key to open it."-

"Well, I didn't want you breaking our deal and try to copy the technology."-

"I never go back on my word, sir."-

"Nevertheless, I can't afford to be too careless." Colonel Ajax pulled out a key from around his neck. But he only displayed the key to flaunt it before Shere Khan. "Perhaps we can make a demonstration on your airfield."

"As you wish…" Shere Khan pressed the intercom button on his desk. "Be prepared to receive me. I am heading towards the airfield."

"Yes sir," The secretary replied. The transmission ended not too long after.

"Shall we then?" Khan asked.

"Of course," Colonel Ajax replied.

The two retreated to the airfield. It was there that a demonstration display was set up. As Shere Khan and his entourage assembled, he watched as three of his older model planes were positioned into separate areas on the field.

"I took the liberty of commandeering three of your outdated aircraft, Mr. Khan." Colonel Ajax said. "They were already sentenced to the scrapheap, so I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all,"-

"Now, if you please." Khan snapped his fingers and the clerk handed the colonel the locked box. Colonel Ajax drew out his key and unlocked the lock. He slowly opened the box to reveal twenty identical capsules. Khan's reaction was not positive. He was more disappointed then amazed.

"And what are these?" he asked.

"These capsules will revolutionize aviation in this world forever." He colonel said.

"So you've told me. But from what I can see of the products before me, I'm having a very difficult time believing it. Do you expect me to fly two to three man crews and several metric tons worth of cargo around the world on those miniscule little capsules?" There came a slight chuckle from some of the pilots and executives of Khan's staff.

"Perhaps if I were to demonstrate what I have in mind," the colonel beseeched, "You would be less inclined to give such sarcastic remarks."

"Very well,"-

Colonel Ajax drew out the first capsule. He clicked the activation switch on the top of the head and threw it on the ground. The capsule bounced a few times before suddenly exploding in a cloud of smoke. The executives of Khan Industries were dumbfounded as they saw the smoke bellow. They were even more surprised when they saw what emerged as a result, before them lay a dark version of the Kingdom gummi.

"Impressive," Khan said. "What is it exactly?"

"This is the road to a greater tomorrow for Khan Industries." Ajax explained. "This is the new X-12 gummi model. It is faster, stronger, and far more maneuverable than what you have presently."

"Is that so?"-

"This particular ship is run by remote control. That way I can maneuver it without having to endanger any of your pilots." Ajax pulled out a large remote control with extended antenna. He activated the gummi, unleashing the rocket power. "Unlike conventional planes, the gummi runs on jet power than propeller. These upgraded rockets make the ship move faster by at least a hundred to a thousand times and are extremely quiet giving only a low mingling roar." He activated the speed and maneuverability of the gummi. Shere Khan was impressed, though his face never showed it. "The gummi is not only fast, but maneuverable, turning on a dime. It also has this special feature." Ajax activated the gummi to go into optical stealth mode. The gummi vanished from sight. Again Khan and his staff members were impressed. "The optical stealth will prevent the naked eye and even radar from detecting it. And also, if I may…" Khan approved and Ajax pointed to two of Khan's elite pilots. The two pilots shot at the now visible gummi with heavy caliber machine guns. Immediately, the gummi unleashed a powerful energy shield. The bullets bounced off as if made of paper. "The defenses of the new gummi will ensure absolute security and safety to the pilots and the cargo."

"Quite ingenious," Shere Khan said. "But how does it fair against air pirates."

"Don Karnage and his outfit will be a thing of the past." Ajax chuckled. "With the superior speed, maneuverability, security, and strength of the gummi, attempted raids by air pirates will be reduced to no more than an entertaining sideshow. And if you really want to make an impression that will stop them for good," The colonel threw out another capsule. There was another explosion and a cloud of smoke. Appearing before the assembly was a Taurus mobile doll. "I would suggest using this impressive contraption."

"What is it?"-

"This is the model Taurus mobile doll."-

"Mobile doll you say? And what exactly does it do?"-

"If I may demonstrate," Ajax activated his remote to control the Taurus. He swerved it back and forth, showing off the speed and agility. "This mobile doll is extremely maneuverable and swift, equaling the gummi. Also, it runs entirely on artificial intelligence. It's dead accurate when it comes to spotting a target and is also able to calculate certain situations, making the mobile doll seem to think just as independently as the best ace pilot out there. Examine the doll's accuracy in fire power from ten miles away." He used a voice transmitter to initiate the orders for the doll. "Target said aircraft at ten miles." The information was transmitted to the doll's data base. The Taurus flew off at an incredible speed, swiftly and silently into the night sky, disappearing amongst the thousands of stars. Then, unexpectedly, three beams of condensed energy appeared. They were the shots fired by the Taurus. One by one, the shots hit their marks, striking at the three designated planes on the airstrip. Shere Khan and his staff looked on with awe, highly impressed by the accuracy and sophistication of the mobile doll and the gummi. Within seconds, the Taurus returned. With it came applause by the staff.

"I must say I am impressed." Shere Khan said with a still serious look on his face.

"All of this can be yours, Mr. Khan." Colonel Ajax replied. "And an esteemed and aggressive entrepreneur like your self cannot possibly reject such technology."

"No doubt that I would never let such technology pass my eye, however there is one matter that does concern me."-

"Which is…?"-

"Such advanced technology does not come without a price. What are you expecting in exchange for the use of these new ships?"-

"You're not one to easily fool are you?" Ajax confronted Shere Khan. "In that case, I'll be blunt. In exchange for this technology, my organization expects an annual payment of fifty percent of your profits."

"Is that so?"-

"Mind you, with this technology, your profits will soar ten fold. So even with fifty percent being paid to us, you will still be making the same level of profits as you are now."-

"It's the matter of giving your organization fifty percent that concerns me, colonel. You are asking for a rather large sum of money."-

"This technology can't be found anywhere else. With a fleet of dolls and gummies under your thumb, you could control the entire corporate world without fear from the competition. With the gummies and dolls running on artificial intelligence and renewable energy cells, there will no longer be a need for fossil fuels or even pilots."-

"That is what concerns me." Shere Khan's gave a stern stare. "At least twenty-five percent of the profit, made by Khan Industries, derives from the drilling of oil to power all forms of transportation, from planes, to ships, to trains and automobiles. Take away that factor, and the company suffers. So in a way, I would be losing profit even if the revenue was to increase ten fold."

"You can more than make up for it."-

"Sooner or later, however, this technology will be taken into the hands of my competitors and they will copy that technology."-

"I very much doubt that, Mr. Khan." Ajax assured him. "They might be able to smuggle in the plans for this technology, but they can't provide the resources. And my organization can provide such elements to keep your new fleet well stocked with the necessary goods."

"That's another concerning factor you've presented." Shere Khan said. "If you and your organization are the only ones who can supply these needed elements to keep the fleet in check, you will transform my company into becoming permanently dependent on the goods you provide. You could forge a monopoly and standardize your prices, allowing them to rise and fall at your own leisure. Plus the fifty percent you're already getting…"

"You misunderstand me, sir. The payment will be part of the fifty percent we'll be given."-

"Despite as gracious as the offer seems, I can't be so sure that what you say now will be absolute in the future."-

"Well, take this time to think it over, Mr. Khan. You would not want to have us withdraw our offer and find some other prospect that would be more than willing to get their hands on this technology, such as other rivaling companies, or even other countries like Pandala or Thembria. Perhaps the pirate Don Karnage would be interested in accepting our proposal."-

"Are you threatening me, colonel?"-

"There would be no cause to threaten you, sir. I am simply stating the facts. I am offering you the chance of a life time. And with the sum you take in annually, I can guarantee that there will be a permanent business partnership between our esteemed organizations."-

"Is that the reason why you sent one of your men to assist Baloo in rescuing the package, as a gesture of good faith?" The statement caused Colonel Ajax off guard.

"One of my men…?"-

"Yes, the boy who accompanied Baloo and his young friend, Kit Cloudkicker."-

"What did he look like?" Ajax wondered.

"He had blue eyes, dirty blonde hair and wore a uniform somewhat identical to some of your men. I believe his name was Cunla." The moment Shere Khan uttered those final words, Ajax suddenly tensed, but not so much as to make it obvious.

"I see…" he replied.

"I assumed that he was one of yours."-

"Of course he is. Thank you for informing me." Colonel Ajax then bowed respectfully. He took the box of capsules and tucked it under his arm. "Well, I've finished doing as I was ordered, sir. The terms stand as they are. We expect a reply from you tomorrow morning."

"Very well," Shere Khan replied.

"Then I take my leave." With that, the colonel and his outfit withdrew.

"Will you really be accepting the colonel's proposal, sir?" the faithful clerk asked.

"It's something I can't deny myself." Shere Khan replied. "But exactly how Khan Industries will stand in the future is still something for me to think about." Khan had no further utterances to give and withdrew back to his quarters.

All the while, Ajax was contemplating on his next move. Now that he knew Cunla was within the world he operated, the predicament of the Imperial Axis' attempts to gain further revenue had become more precarious.

"So Cunla is here is he?" Ajax growled. "That little traitor has made our task harder. Now, there is no guarantee of success in this world."

"What should we do, sir?" one of the subordinates asked. "Shall I issue an order to assemble a body of men to hunt down the traitor and kill him?"

"There is no need for that. We carry on with business as usual."-

"But what if Cunla interferes?"-

"He won't…" Ajax chuckled. "He'll be dead by tomorrow. Contact General Archadius and Colonel Von Kreist and inform them that their target is here."

"Very well, sir."-

"And soon the Imperial Axis will be rid of that upstart brat."-

"But what of Shere Khan, sir." The subordinate asked. "What if he refuses the offer?"

"He won't be so crude as to put down our proposal so quickly." Ajax replied. "But just in case, we should engage in a test run to help Khan assure his confidence in us." Ajax continued to walk. "Now enough talk. Send the message immediately."

"Yes sir…"-

It didn't take long for the message to be sent. General Archadius and Colonel Von Kreist were listening to the message.

"Cunla has been confirmed present at Cape Suzette." The message stated. "No doubt he will try to interfere with our plan. Send a squadron to eliminate the threat."

"So the son of Cuchulain has made it to another world for further interference." General Archadius said.

"Shall I dispatch my squadron?" Colonel Von Kreist asked.

"Immediately…"-

"Sir…" The colonel withdrew.

"Colonel Von Kreist," Archadius addressed. "I'm expecting you and your men to bring that bastard's head back to me on a plate. So don't botch it up this time."

"I understand, sir." The colonel withdrew. He confronted his dour subordinates. "We're heading out, boys."

"Did they find Cunla?" Lieutenant Custis asked.

"He's presently at Cape Suzette."-

"So we take him down for good this time." Sergeant Defoe chuckled.

"Not necessarily." Colonel Von Kreist said. Three of his four subordinates were shocked.

"What do you mean?"-

"I would hate to have such talent wasted. Try and see if you can take him alive."-

"But he's a traitor. He doesn't deserve to live!"-

"Cunla's just a little confused right now. See if you can capture him. Then we can attempt to persuade him, in one manner or the other, to repent for his treachery and return to our ranks."-

"This is an unorthodox decision! I protest against it most strongly!"-

"Still…" Captain Allgota said. "He has a lot of potential. I don't see why we can't give it a try."

"Then be on your way, gentlemen." Von Kreist said.

"And what if he refuses to side with us again?" Defoe asked.

"If that's the case, then we will have to assume that Cunla has indeed betrayed us. Therefore, he must be eliminated without question."-

"That's good enough for me."-

"Let's head out, you guys!" Allgota urged on his comrades. Three of them withdrew to make ready except for young Captain Dalius Sorbet and Colonel Von Kreist.

"Thank you, sir." Sorbet said.

"Remember," Von Kreist said. "You have this one chance and this one chance only. If Cunla doesn't submit, he will be killed. So you better hope that he listens to you."

"Yes sir…" Sorbet withdrew.

The message was picked up by Max, Huey, Dewey, and Louie as they spied on General Archadius' outfit.

"They're heading towards Cape Suzette." Louie said.

"Then we better get going to." Dewey added.

"This all better be worth it." Huey grumbled.

"The sooner we get this over with," Max said, "The sooner we can get back to the Disney Kingdom and help our friends out."

"Let's hope that this Cunla kid is worth it."-

"Yeah…"-

With that, the four activated optical stealth on their gummi and flew in pursuit of the Imperials, hoping to get to Cunla before their enemies did.


End file.
